New Medical Record Platform Introduces More Efficient Tools for Clinical Teams
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When Emergency Department physician Rishi Malik, MD, joined Albany Medical Center in July 2023, efforts were already underway to bring the Albany Med Health System’s new electronic medical record (EMR) online. Since he had previously worked with the EMR platform, Epic, Dr. Malik was eager to share his experience knowing the benefits it would bring to Albany Medical Center.
In March, Albany Medical Center became the first hospital in the Albany Med Health System to go live with Epic and will be followed by Columbia Memorial Health, Glens Falls Hospital, and Saratoga Hospital this fall. A single EMR platform across all System hospitals means that whether a patient is seen by their primary care physician in Hudson or a specialist in Albany, their information will be readily available at all locations.
The platform also includes a new patient portal, MyChart, where patients can access their health information, view notes from their doctors, request prescription refills, schedule and manage appointments, pay their bills, and more.
“There are so many ways that Epic can help us work more efficiently,” said Dr. Malik.
He described features that allow clinicians to more quickly gather information from a patient’s chart and view lab and imaging results, which is particularly beneficial in a fast-paced environment like the Emergency Department.
One of the most significant improvements, for both the patient and employee experience, is same-day documentation. Alongside other employees working to implement Epic in the Emergency Department, Dr. Malik helped create a process to make it easier for physicians to complete documentation when a patient is seen so that the information is readily available in the patient’s chart for follow-up visits.
“It used to be very difficult to document on shift as you went,” Dr. Malik said. “Now, when a patient leaves the Emergency Department, they don’t have to describe complicated medical visits to the next provider because the information is often right there in their chart.”
Another feature new with Epic is the ability to securely place a picture into a patient’s chart. Dr. Malik said that, for example, if a patient comes in with a rash, their provider can take a picture.
If the patient follows up saying that it’s gotten worse, that picture is readily available for comparison.
“You can describe it in writing, but of course it’s very limited. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words,” said Dr. Malik.
Jamie O’Brien, RN, from Saratoga Hospital, said that she also liked the visual features in Epic. While Saratoga has yet to launch the platform, O’Brien got first-hand experience during Albany Medical Center’s go-live as a super user—a System employee who was trained to help answer questions and support Albany Medical Center staff through the launch.
One of the features O’Brien looks forward to using is the LDA avatar, which allows nurses to visually record where lines, drains, airways, and wounds are on a patient. “It’s a nice visual representation of the patient,” she said.
In addition to the avatar, O’Brien said there will be less phone tag between nurses, physicians, and other offices. Epic will also help cut down on repetitive documentation, not only throughout Saratoga Hospital locations, but across the health system.
“Seeing information from other Albany Med Health System hospitals will be truly beneficial,” said O’Brien. “This record will follow patients from location to location so we can actually see what tests they’ve received and the care they’ve had.”
Over the next several months, employees at Saratoga Hospital, Columbia Memorial Health, and Glens Falls Hospital will be training for the Epic launch on their campuses this fall. O’Brien will reprise her role as a super user to support her colleagues in Saratoga.
O’Brien’s advice for her coworkers about to undergo training was to take copious notes they can refer to as they navigate the new EMR system. “That’s what helped me."