Becker's Hospital Review

22 Executive Briefing PerfectServe survey. Of this group, 53 percent of nurs- es and care managers said EHRs are not adequate for effective communication with physicians. Without efficient means of communication, population health management efforts could be significantly stunted. "EHRs are designed as transactional systems that facilitate administrative tasks, such as scheduling, ordering and billing. They are not as efficient at sup- porting clinician workflows," says Marcy Stoots, DNP, RN-BC, general manager of EHR apps for xG Health. "As a nurse, I know clinicians are always on the hunt for more information." Geisinger has spent nearly two decades cus- tomizing its EHR to simplify workflow, increase effi- ciency for physicians and facilitate compliance with evidence-based practices. Now Geisinger is making these tools available to others through xG Health's EnrG™ suite of software apps. These apps, which use the SMART on FHIR platform, can be used with desk- tops, laptops and tablets. The apps extract and analyze data in real time, then reorganize it and present it to clinicians in a user-friendly way — with decision support, without any toggling between screens. The apps focus on man- agement of common chronic diseases, procedures and potential complications associated with them. "We are not looking to replace EHRs, but rather to supplement them," says Earl Steinberg, MD, CEO of xG Health Solutions. "These apps and workflows have existed at Geisinger for a long time. However, until SMART on FHIR, we didn't have a way to take them out of Geisinger and bring them to other places." The EnrG suite of apps addresses many of the concerns and frustrations physicians and nurses have expressed about EHRs. For example, it makes it easier to find data within EHRs and organizes it in a clini- cally logical, user-friendly way. The apps also assist in production of a note, which saves clinicians time, according to Dr. Steinberg, who additionally serves as Geisinger's executive vice president of innovation and dissemination. The apps are also preconfigured with Geisinger's best clinical practices and clinical decision support, which increase the likelihood of physicians making the most clinically appropriate decisions for each patient and also reduces the time required to do so. The tools increase the amount of time physicians can spend in face-to-face interaction with patients during an encounter as well. Seventy percent of phy- sicians reported a decrease in the amount of face-to- face time they have with patients since introducing EHRs into their practices, and 27 percent said EHRs decrease their ability to respond to patient issues, according to a 2014 Medscape survey. "When I go to my doctor, he sits there and types the whole time — there is no interaction with me, the patient," says Dr. Stoots. "In this regard, EHRs interfere with the visit. The EnrG apps automate a large portion of an encounter note, saving clinicians time from a documentation perspective and engaging patients in the process." Leveraging technology — such as xGCare, xGLearn and the EnrG suite of apps — to guide population health management programs completes a "three- legged stool," consisting of processes, people and technology. These three elements, in combination with support from leading experts, can accelerate organizations' progress on the path toward improve- ment and optimization, according to Dr. Steinberg. n xG Health Solutions' mission is to help health systems and others committed to high quality, value-based care succeed under risk-based payment arrangements. Our baseline evaluation, care redesign and care management, population health analytics, and change acceleration services are powered by Geisinger Health System's methods that have been proven to achieve best-in-class outcomes. xG Health is the primary provider of Geisinger's Health- care Performance Improvement Intellectual Property. xG Health also provides experienced professionals to partner in developing and implementing strategies focused on improving quality and reducing cost of care over the long haul. For more information, visit www.xghealth.com, or follow the latest xG Health news and more on LinkedIn or Twitter. C = 85 M = 50 Y = 0 K = 0 C = 56 M = 19 Y = 62 K = 0 C = 0 M = 0 Y = 0 K = 60

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