Kettering Well being Breast Facilities was going through a problem: Its most cancers danger evaluation course of was inefficient and fragmented.
Employees there relied on a separate tablet-based system the place sufferers or workers accomplished danger questionnaires. This setup posed a number of hurdles: The tablets trusted unstable Wi-Fi, the method was time-consuming to elucidate to sufferers, and consent was required earlier than conducting assessments.
THE CHALLENGE
Furthermore, the output lacked integration with inside programs, making it troublesome to generate actionable experiences or stratify breast imaging suggestions based mostly on assessed danger.Â
In the end, workers had no streamlined, constant course of for assessing, documenting or appearing on most cancers danger information throughout the well being system.
PROPOSAL
The proposed resolution to the problem was to combine most cancers danger evaluation straight into the facilities’ well being data system, eliminating the necessity for exterior tablets and enabling a extra environment friendly, streamlined workflow.
“An interface may be established with the radiology reporting system for computerized inclusion for exterior reporting,” stated Deanne Rose, director of the Kettering Well being Breast Facilities. “This integration would permit documentation and storage of danger information straight within the HIS, bettering each accessibility and continuity of care.
“The interface for reporting allowed for a streamlined communication of outcomes for sufferers and suppliers,” she continued. “On the time, a number of danger fashions and distributors have been in use throughout the group, resulting in inconsistencies in assessments – some factoring in mortality danger, others not.”
Consolidating to a single, system-wide platform supplied the chance to standardize care, assist one greatest observe and simplify supplier workflows, she added.
MEETING THE CHALLENGE
Initially, Kettering used the Hughes – later CRA (Most cancers Threat Evaluation) – software on iPads. Finally, the group’s Radiant Epic analysts labored intently with CRA – acquired by Volpara – to totally combine the system inside the Epic EHR.
“This method-wide integration eradicated the necessity for affected person consent and ensured each screening mammography examination features a danger evaluation, with outcomes straight embedded within the mammography report,” Rose defined.
“Entry to the software was initially granted to breast imaging technologists, surgeons and OB/GYNs, and later prolonged to main care suppliers,” she continued. “The danger evaluation questions have been embedded into the scientific historical past part of the technologist workflow inside Epic and are reviewed yearly.”
Clinicians can full danger assessments throughout any encounter. Though the system shouldn’t be built-in with different exterior platforms, having a centralized software inside Epic considerably improved the facilities’ capacity to evaluate and act on danger information effectively.
RESULTS
Integrating the danger evaluation into the Kettering HIS eradicated redundant guide workflows, streamlined affected person information assortment and enabled computerized inclusion of danger leads to experiences. This consistency has improved total operational effectivity and enhanced communication between suppliers.
“Yr over yr, we have seen a constant improve in breast MRI screening charges, significantly amongst sufferers recognized as high-risk,” Rose reported. “From 2021 to 2024, the quantity of screening breast MRIs for sufferers recognized as having elevated danger elevated by 47%, 22%, 35% and 19%, respectively, in contrast with the earlier yr.
“The flexibility to stratify sufferers earlier and extra precisely permits us to offer acceptable follow-up, similar to genetic counseling or further imaging, earlier than most cancers is detected,” she added.
Utilizing one danger evaluation mannequin throughout all areas has ensured constant, evidence-based practices and eradicated confusion attributable to various instruments and methodologies, she continued. This uniform strategy helps guarantee all sufferers obtain equitable, guideline-based preventive care, she stated.
ADVICE FOR OTHERS
“Begin by figuring out how automation can substitute time-consuming guide workflows, particularly in high-volume environments like imaging,” Rose suggested. “Integration along with your present HIS is crucial – not solely does it streamline documentation, but it surely additionally helps higher communication and choice making throughout care groups.
“You must also think about whether or not danger assessments might be supplied universally or solely to particular affected person populations, and the way the outcomes might be reported and acted upon,” she continued. “For sufferers recognized at elevated danger, have a transparent scientific pathway in place – whether or not that is by a devoted most cancers prevention clinic or particular person supplier administration.”
In the end, success depends upon robust alignment between scientific, technical and operational groups to make sure the expertise helps standardized, patient-centered care, she concluded.
Observe Invoice’s HIT protection on LinkedIn: Invoice Siwicki
Electronic mail him:Â bsiwicki@himss.org
Healthcare IT Information is a HIMSS Media publication.
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