Score another win for Epic. The Verona, Wisconsin-based vendor and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based TeleTracking are leading the way as far as patient flow performance, according to KLAS.
The KLAS Patient Flow 2017 report is a compilation of information on vendors in the patient flow space. KLAS found TeleTracking and Epic have the best platforms for a variety of reasons.
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TeleTracking took the top spot among vendors, primarily because of its ability to increase capacity and cut down on patient wait times. Additionally, it ranked number one in terms of both overall satisfaction and clinical staff satisfaction. The vendor received an overall score of 89.1.
Epic, which came in second with a score of 88.1, seems to have improved the functionality and depth of its patient flow solution. However, some clinicians believe Epic’s tool is more challenging to use than TeleTracking’s.
Overall, TeleTracking and Epic were on par with each other as far as meeting providers’ integration needs and goals.
But TeleTracking ranked higher than Epic when it came to bringing together ease of use and analytics. “TeleTracking customers who have purchased custom reporting functionality are highly satisfied, and many are excited about the future of the solution,” KLAS notes.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
Providers lamented the Epic solution’s poor discharge functionality. “Multiple Epic customers complained of their inability to differentiate between pending and completed discharges, though they spoke positively about the direction of the software’s development,” according to the report.
But the TeleTracking tool’s discharge functionality went over well. KLAS claimed providers appreciate how the solution lets them tag pending discharges and view holds and delays, among other capabilities.
Additionally, those using TeleTracking’s transfer center reported it had a positive impact on revenue flow.
McKesson was also a top performer, earning a score of 82.4, according to KLAS. Although clinicians said they liked McKesson’s ability to provide visibility around internal operations, they commented on its poor analytic capabilities.
Cerner and Central Logic were included in the report as well. Cerner users struggled with weak analytics tools. Clinicians liked Central Logic’s integration abilities.
Though there are a plethora of patient flow solutions out in the market, KLAS claims there’s no reason to wait to invest in one.
“Managing the flow of patients in an acute care setting is one of the more complicated challenges confronting providers today,” the report reads. “With multiple robust and improving patient flow solutions available, there is no reason for healthcare organizations to put off optimizing their patient flow performance.”
Photo: Paul Bradbury, Getty Images
