OrthoVirginia to use voice documentation tech to access EHR info

OrthoVirginia has gone into production use of speech recognition and artificial intelligence software embedded in the organization’s Epic EHR.

The new capabilities enable the practice’s physicians to conversationally interact with Epic’s mobile app to look up patient information, lab results, problem and medication lists, and visit summaries.

The new capabilities come from M*Modal, which has worked for several years with OrthoVirginia, which operates 22 sites across the state. OrthoVirginia is the first provider to use the virtual assistant technology, according to Jason Jones, OrthoVirginia’s chief technology officer.

“We have worked closely with M*Modal and Epic, and the implementation process was easy, fast and smooth,” he adds. “The strong collaboration and ongoing development work between the companies helped us meet an accelerated timeline for this go-live.”

The rollout to physicians is continuing, and the organization is determining the best ways to use the voice technology, says H.C. Eschenroeder, MD, chief medical information officer.

“We hope to simplify mobile EHR documentation and information retrieval in hospitals and other remote locations where surgeons need quick access to the OrthoVirginia Epic data,” Eschenroeder adds. “We expect that as we get more comfortable with the technology we will be able to discover how to use voice assistant technology for more complex tasks.”

Here are other new contracts and implementations reported this past week:

• Miami Cancer Institute, part of Baptist Health South Florida, has completed implementation of precision medicine genomics technology from Phillips, in a new genomics laboratory. The goal is to inform clinical treatment decisions and provide visibility into relevant clinical trials so oncologists can make better and more personalized care decisions for patients.
  
• Texas Children’s Hospital, which is affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine, will expand use of its automated medication platform from Omnicell by adding automation for pharmacy and patient care areas to leverage streamlined workflows and safety programs that will better support patient care and enhance pharmacy performance. The vendor will provide expert services to support improved efficiency, regulatory compliance and outcomes.
  
• North Carolina’s statewide health information exchange will be modernized with help from vendors SAS and InterSystems. Enhanced usability and effectiveness of the HIE is expected to improve provider participation and information sharing capabilities while also offering a more holistic view of a patient’s health and care by revealing patterns beyond information already in the electronic health record system and the network.
  
• University Health System in San Antonio, Texas, is putting in enterprise resource planning, cost accounting, patient analytics, budget and forecasting software from Premier. The project is expected to quickly automate and standardize financial and operational processes while improving performance. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.