Cerner Practice Management, formerly under the name "PowerWorks"is a software solution that enables users to manage clinic operations across registration, scheduling, patient tracking, patient accounting and reporting through one workflow.
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Epic
Score 9.0 out of 10
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Epic offers a suite of medical practice management and EHR software.
PowerWorks is more detailed but more time-consuming. It doesn’t chart from exception which takes a lot of time, there is not a copy and paste feature and no ability to refer back to anything else you have input unless you make a comment. Epic has many of these features that …
Epic is not priced or designed for the small provider offices. However, if current Epic customers are willing, they have the ability to bring those smaller groups onboard through Community Connect. This allowsthe smaller group to have the full benefit of Epic without the hardware and software costs associated with owning Epic.
Scheduling - I personally enjoy the ease of use with the solution. It also has a great "memory" as to patient rescheduling, no shows, etc. Being able to create multiple schedules to reflect different practitioners is such a major plus in this system.
Customization - I am able to create Super-bills, Global Periods, and Insurance Details pertinent to each patient and not have to RECREATE them every time like I had to in past systems.
EOB - an added bonus is the ability for the system to check EOB ahead of time. This is a HUGE time saving in an office!
There are doctors' notes templates with prepopulated fields in them. This saves a lot of time.
Epic sends medication orders to pharmacies electronically so that we do not have to call. This saves a lot of time.
Epic has a Secure Chat feature via which we can send HIPAA protected messages to any employee with the patient's name and record attached.
It has a PDMP link. We can look up what controlled medications such as opiates patients have been prescribed and by whom.
It links to MyChart, which is a platform via which patients can look up their own information without them having to call the doctors. This saves a lot of time.
Visual Updates: While Epic is constantly improving the user experience, there are a few features that still need a design refresh. While this does not effect functionality, it does have an impact on user perception.
Ordering: While placing an order for a physician is very easy, a few changes to the workflow could improve the experience for physicians.
You should invest time into taking a training class before using Epic, but once you get the hang of it the usability features are endless! My favorite part about Epic is how it is automated and "trained" to catch user errors that would typically be missed in normal documentation/charting. This ensures accuracy and eliminates errors.
The initial training was good but would have been even better had I been more familiar with the system before taking it. I found learning how to deal with Epic while working in the field at the same time was a (pardon the pun) Epic learning curve. I really think there should be a scribe who does the data entry and others can focus on what they do best.
I personally would use this system over any other systems currently on the market. Athena has a nice product...however, it can be quite expensive and the colors are draining on the eyes. eClinical Works also has a system that is comparable, but the customization I found wasn't as easy as the Cerner product
Epic gives extensive customization options in terms of utility and view. I have found this to be highly useful and efficient EHR as compared to other EHRs we use in our organization.
It must have had a positive impact as things get done quicker, leading to easier billing/coding. It must be saving a lot of money and time. I am not aware of a better product.