Quick access to accurate patient data is essential for treating patients efficiently. With point-of-care lab test results, clinicians can make more effective diagnosis and treatment plans.
Integrating point-of-care testing systems with electronic health records (EHR) makes point-of-care testing even more valuable by eliminating time-consuming and error-prone manual entry. Test results are available immediately to the entire care team, including patients and their families. Connectivity also helps the physician practice avoid missed billing. 
Why Connectivity?
Consider all the steps that must be performed when the practice runs a test on a standalone system: the result must be printed, scanned, then emailed to the practice itself. Then the image must be downloaded onto a desktop computer and attached to the patient chart within the EHR. Alternatively, the practice can manually type the result into the patient chart.
Either approach may suffice in low-volume testing environments. But when test volume increases, such as during flu season, so do the chances for error. By automating the transfer of test results to the EHR, medical device connectivity creates convenience for the practice and prevents errors from manual transcription. Consider the benefits of connectivity.
- Connectivity improves workflow. No more wasted time or effort by staff waiting for instruments to result, manually entering results, or rushing to get results to providers quickly. Now staff can be doing other tasks. Minutes are freed up in the rooming process. And with results automatically in the chart, providers in the room with patients no longer need to come out to check for results. Instead, they can review labs instantly with the patient.
- Connectivity eliminates errors. No matter how careful staff members are, transcribing point-of-care test results from paper printouts into the EHR systems results in errors. With connectivity, what the provider sees in the chart – in real time -- is exactly what the device resulted.
- Connectivity helps the bottom line. In busy practices, paper often goes missing between staff and providers. Revenue leakage can occur when staff fails to record tests into the electronic health records. Connectivity ensures that every test is saved into the EHR, so billing proceeds for every single test.
- Connectivity helps ensure accurate CLIA documentation. No more worries about the recorded accuracy of your test results. Staff training needs are also reduced as steps from the point-of-care testing workflow are eliminated through automation.
- Connectivity can help practices achieve higher quality scores. As payment models that reward quality over quantity expand, providers are likely to see a business case for making the time and cost investments to incorporate interoperable health information into how they deliver care. Instead of spending their time scanning, inputting or searching for paper, connectivity gives the team more time to offer better care, more face time with patients, and better clinical outcomes.
- Connectivity can help practices stay abreast of the consumerization of healthcare. Empowered patients want to play a greater role in their own care. In partnership with individuals, their families and caregivers, healthcare providers are central to the delivery of high quality, safe and efficient healthcare. Providers jointly make decisions with individuals about diagnosis and treatment, and they play a critical role in providing information to individuals while also coordinating care with other providers.
Team-based care, strong care coordination and effective patient engagement are fundamental to an efficient and effective care delivery system. Interoperability can help bring all those things about.
Influenza Testing
SEKISUI Diagnostics encourages customers to interface the Acucy® Influenza A&B Test with their EHRs. To aid in the transition to interoperability, SEKISUI is partnering with connectivity providers to handle the implementation, training, and support required to successfully connect their Acucy devices. Connectivity providers will arrive at a price point that is appropriate for each customer’s unique situation.
SEKISUI Diagnostics currently has two connectivity providers (Medicus LIS and RelayMed) and is developing relationships with more. Customers can reach out to their distributor contact for more information.
Share Article