Beyond Subjectivity: Automated Scoring & Interpretation for More Consistent Care

Overview

The client, a renowned US-based healthcare organization, operates multiple psychiatric specialty clinics across various cities. Despite utilizing an existing EHR system, they acknowledge its outdated nature in the evolving healthcare landscape. Recognizing the necessity to stay competitive, the client seeks an updated EHR solution.

Identifying deficiencies in their current system, including the lack of standardized assessment templates for clinical and psychiatric therapy evaluations, alongside the absence of automated scoring and interpretation, the client desires a comprehensive upgrade.

Additionally, they aim for seamless e-prescription integration within the new EHR. Choosing Thinkitive for our extensive experience in healthcare technology, the client anticipates a transformative solution to enhance patient care and streamline operations.

Business challenges

1. Inadequate Mental Health Assessments:

Existing EHR systems lacked specialized templates for comprehensive initial screening assessments tailored to psychiatric specialties. There was a lack of automated mechanisms to identify and address serious symptoms such as suicidal thoughts during patient assessments.

2. Manual Calculation and Interpretation:

Clinicians must manually calculate scores and interpret the results of assessments, which is time-consuming and prone to human error.

3. Subjectivity in Interpretation:

Interpretation of assessment results can be subjective, leading to inconsistencies between different clinicians. This could affect treatment decisions and overall patient care.

4. Lack of e-Prescription Integration:

The absence of e-Prescription integration results in inefficiencies and delays in medication management and prescription filling processes.

Solution

1. Specialized Initial Screening Assessment:

We have developed a specialized initial screening assessment module within the EHR tailored for psychiatric care. Providers could send pre-scheduled assessments to patients before their appointment. The assessments covered diverse mental health indicators and included critical questions on issues like suicidal thoughts. If patients responded affirmatively, the assessment would halt, directing them to contact their physician urgently. Simultaneously, alerts were sent to physicians for prompt follow-up and intervention.

2. Standardized Assessment Templates Implementation:

Our team has developed a library of standardized assessment templates tailored for therapy clinical and psychiatric evaluations within the EHR system. we have offered a feature that can create, edit, and customize assessment templates associated with various psychiatric conditions. Also, this feature comes with a standardized form to ensure consistent and evidence-based assessment practices across the organization.

3. Automated Scoring and Interpretation Module:

Integrate automated scoring algorithms into the EHR system to calculate assessment scores automatically based on input data. Assessing responses during psychological or psychiatric evaluations poses challenges in treatment decision-making. We've introduced Automated PHQ9s, MDQ, C-SSRS, GAD-7, SCOFF, and GAD scores with interpretations. This feature streamlines clinician review, enhancing efficiency and accuracy.

4. E-Prescription Integration:

The team has developed seamless integration between the EHR system and e-prescription platforms to enable direct electronic transmission of prescriptions to pharmacies. Implemented HL7 standards for interoperability, allowing for secure and efficient exchange of prescription data between systems.

Choosing Thinkitive

With our extensive experience in healthcare technology and a deep understanding of the specific needs of psychiatric practices, Thinkitive is uniquely qualified to deliver a solution that empowers your organization to thrive in the evolving healthcare landscape.

Value Delivered

• 50% reduction in time spent on assessments:

  Pre-defined templates and customization options enable clinicians to efficiently conduct evaluations, freeing up more time for patient interaction and treatment planning.

• 20% increase in consistency of diagnoses:

  Standardized assessments minimize variations in data collection and interpretation, leading to more consistent and reliable diagnoses across clinicians.

• Improved identification of at-risk patients:

  Automated interpretation with standardized scoring helps clinicians promptly identify patients experiencing elevated risks for specific conditions.

• 95% reduction in prescription errors:

  E-prescribing minimizes errors associated with handwriting and misinterpretations, improving medication safety.

• Proactive Patient Care:

  By automatically generating alerts for providers in response to affirmative responses to critical questions, the system facilitated proactive patient care and follow-up, improving patient outcomes.