Epic electronic medical record system
With the aim of creating a more seamless experience for our patients, University Health System is adopting the Epic electronic medical record system, or EMR, after a thorough review. Epic is the EMR of choice at leading academic medical centers across the country, and is used by our physician partners at UT Health San Antonio.
In February, the Board of Managers approved moving forward with the purchase and implementation of Epic, a process expected to be complete by July 2020.
While there are will be additional approvals for Epic adoption as it moves forward, we are now taking steps, including hiring staff to put the new system into place. University Health System will be transitioning from Allscripts, adopted in 2003 as our previous EMR.
University Health System has long been a leader in digital technology, earning a place on the Most Wired list of health systems year after year. Adopting an EMR helped University Health System increase patient safety, promote clinical teamwork and improve billing systems. However, the previous EMR was primarily hospital-based and not designed for our current emphasis on prevention and ambulatory services.
A key issue is that the Health System and UT Health San Antonio are on two different EMRs that make it difficult for a patient’s medical history to be shared. Having each patient’s data in a standardized format allows every provider to easily communicate across the continuum of care through a single, integrated health record.
The move to EPIC is expected to improve health outcomes, create a better patient experience and help reduce costs.
