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Massachusetts Department of Public Health Replaces Existing e-Forms System with World’s Leading Electronic Forms on Demand Solution from Access

9/9/2011 11:10:12 AM

Four hospitals to generate barcoded patient forms and wristbands at registration to increase patient safety, improve information sharing with clincal floors and HIM.

Several years ago, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) introduced an electronic forms management system for its four healthcare facilities. Unfortunately, it was poorly supported by the vendor, had limited functionality and made it difficult to create new forms.

Administrators realized that a replacement e-forms system was needed, and they selected the electronic forms on demand solution from Access, the top provider of e-forms management, automation and workflow software for the healthcare industry.

MDPH’s four healthcare facilities primarily function as long-term care facilities, but each offers care to a unique population. MDPH will deploy Access’s e-form solution from a central location to meet the needs of each of these diverse organizations, and also hopes to use it to help facilitate document scanning and archiving.

“Access has a proven track record of easily converting forms from an existing e-forms system,” said Reed Hix, applications analyst at MDPH. “The ability to grow and expand usage is also what attracted MDPH to Access as our replacement e-forms vendor.”

With Access’s e-forms on demand solution, the admissions department at each MDPH hospital will register patients in MEDITECH then generate a forms packet with patient demographics pulled from MEDITECH. At the same time, the Access system will create barcoded wristbands and face sheets.

“By printing barcoded forms, wristbands and face sheets, the Access system will give us everything we need at the point of registration,” Hix said. “It will also generate face sheets and labels in clinical departments, enabling nurses to prepare for patients’ arrival.”

In addition, the Access system will distribute labels to the HIM department, helping staff members to prepare patient charts more proactively.

“We think Access’s e-forms on demand system will save a lot of time and effort,” Hix said. “With it, we will be able to share information between departments in real time.”

Another benefit will be the ability to use barcoded wristbands on clinical floors, in conjunction with medical devices, such as glucometers, which will use barcodes to verify patient identity.

“The barcoded wristbands created by the Access system will definitely improve patient safety by ensuring correct identification,” Hix said.

MDPH’s previous e-forms management product made it difficult to create new forms and update existing versions, placing more of a burden on the organization’s applications analysts. The simple, intuitive Access forms designer eliminates this issue.

“It is easy to change forms and create and publish new ones with Access,” Hix said. “That is a major advantage over our previous e-forms management application.”

MDPH also hopes to expand its use of the solution in relation to document scanning and archiving as well as taking care of needs outside of the registration departments.

Massachusetts Department of Public Health

The MDPH’s Hospitals provide an abundance of services to the Commonwealth covering a vast range of needs. From a fully accredited teaching facility that provides acute, subacute, and ambulatory care to patients referred by public agencies and private sector providers to a residential facility treating the more complex medical, educational, rehabilitative and recreational needs of children and young adults. The hospitals’ services enable economically and socially disadvantaged patients to obtain high quality, cost-effective care from a staff that respects their dignity. MDPH’s Long-Term Care facilities also provide comprehensive treatment, care, and comfort to adults with chronic medical and mental illnesses. For more information about MDPH, its mission, or for contact information, please click here.

About Access

Access is the world’s leading electronic forms (e-forms) management, automation and workflow software provider. Our solutions transform any paper-intensive forms process into a paperless, collaborative workflow. Hundreds of hospitals worldwide are using Access solutions to improve patient care and safety, cut costs and enhance electronic health records (EHR), patient safety and downtime planning initiatives. Learn more at http://www.accessefm.com.

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