Patient safety has always been a top priority for Wooster Community Hospital. With Forward Advantage’s help, Wooster demonstrated this commitment back in 2009 when it became the first MEDITECH hospital in Ohio to achieve positive identification with CPOE. Since then, Forward Advantage has continued to work with the hospital to streamline clinical workflows and improve patient safety. In fact, the two recently teamed up on a new initiative to electronically prescribe controlled substances with the simplified authentication process from Imprivata's Enterprise Access Management (formerly Confirm ID) for EPCS. With its physicians on board, Wooster has made great strides with Meaningful Use compliance and is helping to combat the growing opioid epidemic associated with fraudulent prescriptions.
“Prior to Enterprise Access Management, non-narcotics could be sent electronically, but narcotics had to be prescribed on paper,” says Eric Gasser, director of information systems at Wooster. “Physicians didn’t like having these separate workflows, so we implemented EPCS to encourage electronic prescribing. Our hospital is a leader in assuring patient safety and in addressing the opioid epidemic, and this allows physicians to safely prescribe prescriptions in a way that’s more satisfying to them and our patients. In fact, it’s been so effective and well-received that electronic prescribing is now mandated in our hospital.”
Why Forward Advantage?
Forward Advantage is an authorized reseller and implementer for Imprivata. As a MEDITECH-preferred vendor, it has the necessary expertise to implement single sign-on and secure authentication for e-prescribing in a way that optimizes the MEDITECH EHR. Per Gasser, this experience and exceptional customer service makes for an unbeatable combination. “Forward Advantage knows this industry and MEDITECH very well. I can trust that when I have a question, I’m going to get the right answer. If they don’t have an answer, then they’ll get it. We’ve built a relationship of trust over the years, because they always come through for me.”
One Imprivata platform for streamlined access
Physicians at Wooster log into the system using Imprivata's Enterprise Access Management single sign-on with fingerprint scanners. To comply with the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy, they also electronically order non-narcotics in MEDITECH using these same fingerprint scanners. Wooster has 77 users set up with Enterprise Access Management for EPCS, which continues this simple workflow. When a provider orders a narcotic, he or she uses their fingerprint in combination with their network password for two-factor authentication. “Our doctors are used to signing with a fingerprint, and they can now use the same process to prescribe a controlled drug,” says Gasser. “The only additional step is that they need to enter a password. We wanted to make their workflow as easy as possible without adding extra burden to their already busy day.”
“Forward Advantage knows this industry and MEDITECH very well. I can trust that when I have a question, I’m going to get the right answer." - Eric Gasser, Vice President, Information Systems/CIO
The statistics speak for themselves
In the short amount of time that Wooster has been using Enterprise Access Management for EPCS, the hospital has already experienced impressive results. Physicians are much more inclined to e-prescribe now that they can securely authenticate with a fingerprint for EPCS in the same manner that they would for non-narcotics. This convenience has greatly improved their overall e-prescribing rate. “At the end of the day, Enterprise Access Management is helping us meet our Meaningful Use objectives,” says Gasser. “It’s just a great tool that works in our single sign-on environment and integrates with MEDITECH. The statistics speak for themselves.”
“We have enjoyed our partnership with Wooster Community Hospital, as well as our long-standing relationships with MEDITECH and Imprivata. Imprivata provides solutions that allow our customers to securely and efficiently access, communicate, and transact patient information,” says Lee Howard, vice president of client services for Forward Advantage. “We have the skills and MEDITECH expertise to optimize their solutions in a healthcare environment, whether it be single sign-on, secure messaging, or EPCS."
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