Dive Brief:
- Medsphere's OpenVista EHR just added an improved Discharge Summary module built specifically for behavioral health hospitals, courtesy of their work with Connecticut's Silver Hill Hospital, according to a joint press release.
- The new Discharge Summary module (DSum) automates the summary creation process, works on both desktop and mobile versions of OpenVista, and reduces the time necessary to create the discharge summary by pulling patient history and diagnostic information from the early hospital record. It also adds laboratory data and discharge medication recommendations from later in the treatment process, the release stated.
- Further, the new DSum follows continuity-of-care documentation objectives regarded as integral to better patient outcomes and reducing redundancies in testing and information. When coupled with Medsphere's full product on an open source platform, OpenVista can attain complete interoperability with any systems and applications, according to the statement.
Dive Insight:
The pressure for EHRs to become interoperable is reaching a new high, if for no other reason than that HHS has linked fluid data sharing to almost every initiative in its portfolio, from Meaningful Use to value-based Medicare reimbursement. So, it's no surprise that vendors like Medsphere are eager to showcase progress here.
Behavioral health hospitals are among the outliers in the EHR market, with special needs beyond what might be found in a standard healthcare EHR. High-functioning EHRs that are clear, easy-to-decipher and comprehensive from hospitalization to discharge are imperative. Getting the records right in the EHR the first time will make readmissions and subsequent treatments resistant to error and redundancies, which have been proven to have positive impacts on patient outcomes.