In its journey developing an electronic health record (EHR) from a local innovation to a global healthcare solution Alcidion has identified three fundamental concepts which can help deliver value from technology in diverse care settings.
In 25 years of working to harness the power of data to improve patient outcomes, often through extensive collaboration, three fundamental elements have emerged at Alcidion which have underpinned successful innovation and implementation of technology in diverse care settings: interoperability, modularity, and the user experience.
With deep expertise in these focused areas, Alcidion has refined Australia’s only internationally recognised and powerfully agnostic EHR to meet the needs of current, emerging and diverse healthcare environments.
The Miya Precision Journey
Alcidion’s Miya Precision platform was born out of Adelaide, Australia with a single mission: to improve patient safety.
At the time, preventable clinical errors were front of mind for clinicians and hospital administrators, causing measured patient harm. Simultaneously, it was becoming evident that existing digital solutions were not adequately assisting clinicians in identifying and preventing these errors. More than one study found that the early design of EHRs was creating more work for clinicians and was significantly associated with increased documentation time, reduced direct patient contact, and added cognitive burden. There was an evident gap in the ‘smarts’ of these systems.
Miya Precision was formed with the belief that smart healthcare solutions should streamline data management and analysis to transform the reactive healthcare model into a proactive one. To achieve this, over the years, the platform has evolved to incorporate the latest advancements in clinical decision support (CDS), artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), natural language processing (NLP), and more.
Across Australia and New Zealand, Miya Precision helped healthcare organisations to fill the gaps in their existing systems, without creating more data silos.
This evolution was the catalyst to introduce Alcidion’s EHR, Miya Precision, to the UK market, as the first smart clinical asset for the National Health Service (NHS).
Miya Precision provides a nimble and modern EHR alternative for NHS Trusts, as well as an orchestration layer for integrated care systems and best-of-breed approaches using intelligent technology to alleviate the burden on frontline clinicians.
Since Miya Precision was introduced to the UK, three key components have solidified as core features for a future-proof EHR that can support patients and clinicians in diverse care settings. These components are interoperability, a modular architecture, and user centred design. Below we expand on each of these areas.
Interoperability – seamless data exchange and systems integrations
A study of 15 NHS England CCIO’s reported that poor EHR interoperability often contributes to longstanding issues concerning EHR data quality, which negatively impacts patient safety. One common frustration cited is the challenge of obtaining an accurate list of a patient’s current medications or allergies, especially during care transitions, despite the likelihood that the information is accessible elsewhere or with another provider.
Implementing data standards to support interoperability is necessary everywhere, as highlighted by the 15 CCIO’s. By adhering to Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standards, Alcidion’s Miya Precision enables real-time integration with diverse healthcare technology systems. This not only enhances collaboration but also ensures continuity of care for patients, irrespective of where they seek treatment. It also supports real-time integration with FHIR and non-FHIR resources, allowing healthcare systems to unify the various components of their digital ecosystem. This is how Miya Precision unifies diverse systems both within and across health systems.
Clinicians at South Tees Hospital NHS Foundation Trust report a 60-minute reduction in administrative burden per clinician per shift using Alcidion’s EPR.
Modular Framework – the flexible and scalable deployment of targeted solutions
A study published by BMC Health Services Research suggests that the advantage of a modular system is that it can adapt to changing circumstances one module at a time, without disrupting the entire system.
Modular solution frameworks have emerged as a critical factor in developing digital health strategies across care settings and geographic borders. There is a broad spectrum of solution architectures ranging from a single monolithic product, to wrapping clinical functionality around administrative functionality, to best-of-breed product approaches. Each of these approaches have advantages and disadvantages, and it is a challenge for health executives to choose what will work best for their organisation.
The single monolithic product suite offers a range of capabilities, however, is a relatively inflexible approach, lacking adaptability both in terms of customisation and in alignment with clinical workflows – which is crucial in a dynamic industry like healthcare. On the other hand, best-of-breed solutions only address a limited set of needs and create data interoperability challenges between systems and teams. Too often, healthcare executives are trying to make the choice between the breadth (monolithic) of digital benefits or depth (best-of-breed).
Alcidion’s Miya Precision has been built to address this challenge by offering a platform approach aimed at maximising the value of existing assets whilst unlocking pathways to innovative modular solutions. Our objective is to provide an agnostic platform which enables healthcare organisations to liberate data from current assets with minimal disruption to clinical teams. In parallel, our customers have access to the capabilities of a monolithic EHR, however these are available in a modular form, so they can pick and choose what to deploy and when.
User-Centric Design Approach – developed with clinicians, for clinicians
Many traditional EHR systems have interfaces that are overly complex and difficult to navigate. Poor user experience is not only frustrating for clinicians, but also impacts patient safety, time spent with patients, data quality and governance. One article titled, “4000 clicks: a productivity analysis of electronic medical records in a community hospital ED,” estimated the time spent on documentation to be 30% to 40% of a workday, with electronic charting taking 30% longer than paper charts. These clinicians spend significantly more time entering data into electronic health records than on any other activity, including direct patient care. This is not an acceptable outcome.
Alcidion’s user-centric approach ensures that the Miya Precision EHR resonates with end-users across different healthcare settings. Utilisation of multidisciplinary design input upfront, with a priority on clinician engagement, supports the development of an EHR that fits into the workflows and preferences of its users, not the other way around. Creating space for ongoing feedback and iterative improvements also ensures that Miya Precision remains responsive to evolving clinical needs and technological advancements.
“The information is displayed in an easy-to-read way and the system provides both charge nurses and nurse managers with the ability to see real-time updates on patient flow, which improves planning and ultimately ensures every patient is provided with the best care possible.” – Celina Eves, Executive Director of Nursing and Midwifery, Te Whatu Ora MidCentral
Alcidion’s EHR journey, from its origins in Australia to its expansion into New Zealand and the UK, highlights the universal importance of interoperability, modularity, and user-centric design in driving successful and sustainable digital transformation that transcends geographic boundaries. The ability to adapt to an organisation’s priority areas, patient demographics, regional needs, legislation, and more, is made easier with these three fundamental components of solution design.
Contact us today to learn more about how Alcidion’s Miya Precision platform can support your healthcare system with an integrated, scalable, and user-friendly digital record and workflow strategy to drive positive outcomes for both patients and carers.
Author’s note: We recognise that EHRs are known as EMRs in Australia and EPRs in the UK. For simplicity we have used the term EHR throughout this article.This article was produced and sponsored by Alcidion. For more information on topics raised by the article you can email info@alcidion.com