Healthcare systems and hospitals that rely on Communication Director for their faxing and report distribution are not typically in a position to leave anything to chance. Being prepared and making a good plan are in your DNA, so if you are contemplating a move to MEDITECH Expanse or are already preparing to move, here are considerations for Communication Director during the transition.
Automated faxing (SmartRoute)
During your migration to MEDITECH Expanse you may try to set up your reports to be identical to your existing reports, but the report numbers, account numbers and medical record numbers may have a formatting change. These changes can affect SmartRoutes. The reports may look the same, but they may be in a completely different format.
In the MEDITECH Expanse environment, there is often a need to change the format of your SmartRoutes to adopt Post Script. It has much greater font-set support and works better with the MEDITECH Document Manager.
Integrated, on-demand faxing from MEDITECH Expanse
Communication Director 4 and MEDITECH Expanse have an API integration that allows on-demand faxing directly from MEDITECH.
Users can fax without leaving MEDITECH and check status of faxes directly in Expanse.
This will be a welcome update for those moving from MEDITECH 6.X or Client Server, as that functionality was not available on those platforms.
On-demand faxing (DesktopFax)
Depending on the EHR/EMR you're migrating from, your users might be using DesktopFax for the very first time. This is especially true for those coming from Magic or ambulatory clinics moving from solutions like eClinicalWorks or Athena. You’ll want to keep in mind that training may be necessary for some users as you roll out DesktopFax to them. It’s a wonderfully versatile and beneficial solution that can keep all your faxing electronic, not just clinical faxing from MEDITECH Expanse, as it works with almost any Windows application.
It’s important to note that your fax volume in DesktopFax may increase. For instance, you might have new users on DesktopFax as you deploy Expanse organization wide. Examples of new DesktopFax users are physician offices, clinics and out-patient departments. Keep in mind that even if you are moving to a one record model, that your non-clinical departments (materials management, facilities, accounting, etc.) will still need to send faxes, and you’ll still need to send faxes to providers outside the Expanse environment and other entities like insurance companies.
It’s also a good time to consolidate faxing to one solution, especially if you had a best-of-breed environment before moving to Expanse. Communication Director can handle your faxing and report distribution needs enterprise-wide and can integrate with many standard systems.
Key takeaways
Communication Director is the recommended, integrated report distribution and faxing system for MEDITECH Expanse, but ensure your system is set up to work with Expanse. Communication Director version 4, 4.1, or 4.2 are required and you should expect changes to existing SmartRoutes, an update to receive the new API for integrated on-demand faxing and a broader roll-out of DesktopFax. Additional considerations include potential increases in DesktopFax volumes and subsequent training for new users. Early planning is the key to a successful migration. It’s also a good time to consolidate faxing to one solution, especially if you had a best-of-breed environment before moving to Expanse. Communication Director can handle your faxing and report distribution needs enterprise-wide and can integrate with many standard systems.
Contact your Forward Advantage representative six months prior to your MEDITECH Expanse go-live. We’ll go over your current system configurations, look at your fax volumes, and discuss options for moving forward.
Forward Advantage is here to help and wishing you much success on your migration to Expanse! Contact us for a Communication Director and MEDITECH Expanse Migration Consultation.
