The Challenge
The Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County (VHOCC) in Washington state has offered end-of-life care and grief counseling to patients and their families – at no cost – since the 1970s. With a nursing care team of around 10, a handful of administrative staff members and hundreds of volunteers, VHOCC provides care to a census of roughly 120 patients.
Over the years, Astrid Raffinpeyloz, Volunteer Services Manager, and Betsy Wharton, Nurse Team Manager, regularly had to communicate with nurses on duty by phone. Oftentimes they also relied on inconvenient paper calendars, sprawled out timesheets and other documents that could only be accessed across several different systems. While they turned to a computerized system in 2011, many things had to be continuously programmed and stored elsewhere.
Not only did it become especially important to find an EHR platform that encompassed everything they needed into a singular, one-stop solution, VHOCC also looked for a system that streamlined their administrative and clinical processes.
“We needed something that was more fluid,” said Astrid. “Nurses were spending a lot of time doing some things they needed to do yet in a way that wasn’t efficient. It was taking away from the time our nurses could spend with patients and it was essential for us to have an EHR system that was cost-effective and simplified.”
The Solution
Looking to implement a more modern and up-to-date EHR software solution, VHOCC needed a very flexible system that could adapt to their unique operations. VHOCC initially selected Net Het Health Optima Hospice for its strength in charting and regulatory compliance. Not too long thereafter, VHOCC staff members began to uncover a slew of features that provided structure yet also great flexibility at just the touch of a button. In addition to now having an internal messaging system that allowed them to communicate with nurses seamlessly and was HIPAA compliant, it became easy to also pull up patient reports and data for performance reviews.
“We’re now starting to pull reports and I find it very convenient to look at a nurse’s day,” remarked Betsy. “I can find visit notes pretty easily. Conversely, I can take one patient and look through the chronological narrative of what is happening in their care.”
Thanks to Net Health Optima Hospice, VHOCC has enjoyed an array of benefits that has simplified their workflow, including:
- A confidential internal messaging system
- Efficient chart reporting and reviews
- HIPPA-compliant framework
- Easy-to-access digital calendars
- One-stop system for numerous everyday functionalities
- Easy-to-learn tutorials
A safe and secure EHR software solution has also given staff members peace of mind. Now, nurses and administrative staff can rest assured that all message exchanges remain confidential and within the system. What’s more, patient information is secured across all forms of communications.
The Results
Betsy now looks forward to completing chart reviews and pulling up patient notes. Due to the convenience and flexibility of Net Health Optima Hospice, nurses at VHOCC, in turn, have more time to spend at a patient’s bedside.
Both Betsy and Astrid agree that getting easy access to patient data without calling a nurse for additional information has allowed them to be more efficient with their time. They have also been pleased with the software solution’s HIPPA-compliant features, which has ensured that all staff members are ethically and morally within bounds of communication.
“The communication capabilities of Optima Hospice have just been phenomenal. We appreciate the HIPPA-compliance nature of the system,” noted Betsy. “We use internal messaging for dialogue about patient care issues exclusively. Everything is stored within the HIPPA-compliant universe, which has been very solid and helpful for us.”
From a secured internal messaging platform to a flexible EHR solution that adapts to their unique workflow, Net Health Optima Hospice has helped VHOCC replace clunky operations for smooth and simple processes that work.
Ready to learn more about Net Health® Optima Hospice?
hospice@nethealth.com
800.411.6281
40 24th Street, 1st Floor Pittsburgh, PA 15222