A side view of an anvil at the Steaming Kettle Ranch.

Medical Assistant Super Users Facilitation

Client: Tuality Healthcare

Situation

The Medical Assistant Super User Council--sponsored by Sonney Sapra, CIO--was to provide a forum for streamlining workflows and maximizing technology in daily operations, resulting in increased efficiency and time-to-adoption of changes in the Cerner Electronic Health Record (EHR). Goals included:

  1. Propose and discuss EHR change requests.
  2. Give input on proposed changes to the EHR and related workflows prior to implementation.
  3. Test proposed changes to the EHR and related workflows.
  4. Collaborate on standardizing and documenting MA workflows.
  5. Collaborate on technical training materials used to onboard new MAs.
  6. Share best practices with peers at other clinics.

Solution

Steaming Kettle supported the Medical Assistants and the group's leadership with facilitation, training, and data analysis. Three principles made the work successful:

  • Use precious meeting time efficiently
  • Improve the Council's ability to facilitate itself
  • Help the Council visualize its intentions and affects

Visual Result

The graph below represents changes in EHR meaningful use measures over the period Steaming Kettle Worked with the Medical Assistant Super Users Council.

Patient Summary Compliance Over Time, All-Clinic Average
Patient Summary Compliance Over Time, All-Clinic Average

Key Accomplishments

  • Project List: The Council was introduced to tools used by project teams, including: how to set ground rules; using bike racks for tracking important but unrelated ideas; and how to collaboratively prioritize good ideas into a working project list. This resulted in a list of 19 improvement projects ranked by perceived impact and speed.
  • Meaningful Use: Members reviewed progress made toward Meaningful Use goals and brainstormed barriers and solutions for gaining adoption of new workflows (such as the Depart process). By the end of 2011, all clinics had met or exceeded the goals for Meaningful Use and were prepared to enter the attestation phase.
  • Change Requests: Super users identified and submitted EHR change requests to IS. Examples: o Addition of patient pharmacy details to the main screen in the EHR o Addition of vital signs and growth chart to the Visit Summary o Addition of patient education materials on local social services and Tuality classes
  • Alignment on EHR Updates: Members discussed the impact of changes resulting from implementation of EHR code updates, system upgrades, and new functionality. They provided feedback to IS and influenced how and when over 12 major changes were deployed from August to December.