Epic vs. Practice Fusion vs. SoftLab

Epic is very good on the medical side and continues improving mental health and dental care. Having integrated telehealth via Zoom was a game-changer. During COVID, it was vital to have telehealth options and to ensure it was completely HIPAA Compliant and easy to document inside their health record.

Incentivized

The best scenario is a small non-profit clinic who needs a great EMR but cannot afford one like EPIC. I might also recommend this to colleagues who are starting a small business because I think PF would be a good, easy, and more affordable to get up and running. I think this EMR makes less sense in the setting of large academic institutions who need lots of easily manipulable data and a huge amount of support.

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Verifying critical results via SoftLab is a very well demonstration of its high functionality. You can add a message to the result that it's been repeated and results are confirmed. Also, you can add the name of the nurse who was notified of the result. Also, you can see the previous results right next to the current one with the date it was performed. All of these aforementioned features are available in the same window making it a very good experience to verify a critical result as a Medical Lab Scientist. SoftLab has been never less appropriate to face any scenarios. It has always exceeded my expectations.

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• 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.

Incentivized

• Document storage- You can upload documents and attach them to specific patients. As well as flag documents that need to be signed, and assign them to specific doctors.
• Charting- Very detailed integration for charting.
• Reporting- We really enjoy the reports we can pull from within the software.

Incentivized

• Receiving of specimens is highly convenient now and can be done via two platforms within the same software. We use a scanner to scan the barcode as opposed to typing in any info. So in addition to being convenient, it reduces clerical errors.
• Verifying results was never easier now with just one click. Patient results are verified and sent to the nurses and doctors. Also, to our convenience, a list of codes/messages are available such as this test has been repeated. In addition to keeping a record of calling in critical results.
• Logging in our daily core lab instruments QC results and maintenance tasks have now been transformed from paperwork to verifying and enter results via SoftLab QC which is very easy and enjoyable.

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• 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.

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• Have Physician Assistant as a provider status.
• Make the notes section of each patients account displays towards the top of page and not the bottom.

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• I have yet to find any features that are hard to use. I honestly believe that SoftLab is very easy to use and is 100% user-friendly. SoftLab has outdone itself as an LIS and needs no improvement.

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It is beyond measure the best EHR on the market.

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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.

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In my opinion and experience, they have a lack of customization so you have to constantly create hacks to make their system work for your practice.

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.

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We always get a return call within the time stated. There are many available topics on the forum and it is often easy to find the issue you are seeking more information on. When we have tried the live chat feature we have been satisfied with the timeliness and response.

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Well-vetted lesson plans that teach you what you need to know for success.

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While not as effective as in-person training, it is still adequate.

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Epic has a regimented implementation process that ensures a successful go-live.

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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.

NextGen is hard to use as far as medical records. Practice Fusion is user friendly. There is a great knowledge base for questions asked. Practice Fusion takes all the guess work out of the day.

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SoftLab is a great improvement on all aspects compared to Sunquest.

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• Being able to track and document all of our services in the same place has made an exceptional improvement in continuity of patient care, both internally across departments (medical/dental/mental health) and externally with specialists and other healthcare organizations on a national scale.
• Continuous improvements in Data reporting and analytics make tracking and implementing quality improvement measures throughout the year easy.
• Massive improvements to the ELLA training platform, combined with detailed and interactive training materials for all system areas, make onboarding and staff training much easier!

Incentivized

• PRO -- I know now what I need in an EMR/EHR
• CONS -- They have overcharged me and it has cost me money
• CONS-- They have disregarded my legal rights which makes me unsure of keeping confidential info in their systems and it will cost me money to switch
• CONS--They have cost me money with the time I've wasted to follow up on my own tickets that they refuse to follow up with

• As a Medical Lab Scientist, I believe that SoftLab made it easier and quicker to verify results meaning that results are available to Doctors a lot faster than before which in return may lessen the wait time of patients in ER which makes them happy and will definitely come back again when in need which is good from a business point of view.

Incentivized