system also provides a data mining service
which analyzes the practice’s database
for patients “with certain conditions who
need things done on a regular basis,” says
Lurye. It’s driven by some 30 protocols,
on such profiles as a patient whose blood
sugar scores fall outside a certain range
who has not been in for a visit during the
recommended timeframe. The automated
reminder calls free up valuable staff time,
Lurye says.
The practice has also deployed refill
management software, from HealthFinch.
The program works in conjunction with
the EHR. “Refill management is a big part
of the primary care physician’s day,” Lur-
ye says. “They may average about 15 refill
requests per physician per day.” The soft-
ware’s “Refill Wizard” automates the pro-
cess, taking refill requests—which origi-
nate with a patient or the pharmacy—and
matching them up against a set of stand-
ing orders created by primary care physi-
cians. If the request meets certain guide-
lines, a staff nurse is authorized to grant
the refill request. “Physicians don’t have
to touch them,” Lurye says. In other in-
stances, however, the system will alert the
practice that indeed a patient has to come
in for a visit before a refill can be granted.
“Some may be overdue for testing. This
helps with the chronically ill patients.”
otherwise without the reminders. But we
are not pulling in patients for superflu-
ous reasons.
“We were waiting for patients to
call us and weren’t managing the
needs of the population.”
—Meryl Moss
Free time
Both steps—averting unnecessary physi-
cian attention and staying on top of the
needs of patients with chronic condi-
tions—are a boost to the practice, both
clinically and financially, Lurye adds. He
figures that a typical primary physician
might free up 45 minutes a day, or more,
by not having to research and act on cer-
tain refill requests. “The system decreases
phone calls, gets refills out faster, and re-
moves variation if you have staff members
interpreting a physician order,” he notes.
By identifying patients overdue for vis-
its, the practice also boosts its visit vol-
ume. “We have added over 2,000 visits in
some months that we might not have had
home model is underscored time and time
in the daily operations, physicians and
practice managers say, so keeping the sys-
tem up and running is crucial.
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