We’re striving to reach HIMSS Stage 7 and to so we need to become as paperless as possible. Access’s e-forms and electronic signature solution will help us achieve this.
Sulphur Springs, Texas (PRWEB) November 05, 2013
For the past few years, Hilo Medical Center, the largest facility in the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation, has been progressing toward a paperless environment. To help continue this and advance the hospital from HIMSS Analytics EMR Adoption Stage 6 to Stage 7, the Hilo leadership team recognized that the facility was still relying on paperwork in some areas. One of these was patient forms, and after a thorough market search, Hilo chose to partner with Access to move to e-forms on demand.
“We decided to go with Access for our e-forms and electronic patient signature project because they took the time to understand our needs,” said Money Atwal, CIO and CFO for the East Hawaii Region. “Proven integration with MEDITECH was another big factor.”
Previously, patients filled out paper admissions forms and then signed each one. The forms were sent from registration to HIM for scanning – a time-consuming process. With the Access solution, Hilo will convert paper forms into electronic versions that will be available on demand with patient demographics pre-filled from MEDITECH.
Next, patients will authorize consent and other admissions packet e-forms with a secure electronic signature. The Access system will then integrate completed forms in the correct patient record via MEDITECH Scanning and Archiving, part of Hilo’s MEDITECH 6.x system.
“We’re striving to reach HIMSS Stage 7 and to so we need to become as paperless as possible,” said Howard Ainsley, CEO for the East Hawaii Region. “Access’s e-forms and electronic signature solution will help us achieve this.”
Kris Wilson, Project Management Office Director at Hilo, believes that Access solutions will advance Hilo’s goal of providing the best possible patient experience, which, along with delivering quality care, is the hospital’s top priority.
“Patients don’t want to deal with a lot of paperwork and so moving to e-forms will help,” Wilson said. “They’ll electronically sign forms in one place instead of dealing with a whole packet of hard copies.”
In addition to improving patient care, safety and satisfaction, Hilo is finding new ways to reduce costs. One of the ways to do this is by choosing technology that provides a rapid and lasting return on investment.
“We could’ve gone with a standalone e-forms product, but siloed systems don’t produce the same ROI,” Atwal said. “As it will be integrated with our EHR, we expect the Access solution to deliver cost savings of $60,000 to $100,000 a year, which will provide rapid return on investment.”
About Hilo Medical Center
Hilo Medical Center (HMC) is the largest facility in the Hawaii Health Systems Corporation and is Joint Commission accredited. Established in 1897, HMC has grown from a 10-bed hospital, erected by the Hawaiian Government, to the present facility of 276 licensed beds, consisting of 142-acute licensed and 22 skilled nursing beds, including a 20-bed psychiatric unit, a separate 112-bed licensed extended care facility, numerous specialty clinics and an accredited home care agency. Learn more at http://www.hmc.hhsc.org/.
About Access
Hundreds of hospitals worldwide use paperless Access solutions to integrate e-forms, electronic patient signatures and clinical data into EHRs. Access helps improve care, eliminate financial and environmental costs and enhance patient safety and downtime planning initiatives. Learn more at http://www.accessefm.com and discover how you can help Access’s partner The Last Well bring fresh water & the Gospel to Liberia here.
About MEDITECH
MEDITECH has been the leader in the EHR industry since 1969. MEDITECH's applications unify clinical, administrative, and financial information across a health care organization, including acute care, long-term care, home health care, and physician practices. Today, more than 2,300 institutions worldwide use MEDITECH's information systems. For additional information on MEDITECH products and services, visit http://home.meditech.com/en/d/home/.