SmartPhrases for Smart Employees

Not since Ali Baba spoke the words, “Open Sesame” has a simple phrase been able to open so many doors. At Americollect, our magic phrase is “Ridiculously Nice,” but for our clients that use Epic, we have a few more phrases you’ll want to learn. These phrases may not lead to secret stashes of treasure, but they may help you find something even more valuable – time.

Epic Clients and SmartPhrases

The Epic electronic medical records system utilizes a shorthand system that allows sets of words, or SmartPhrases, to populate the notes section with commonly used blocks of text that not only save users time, but also increase consistency and sets you up for documentation success.

Epic users may already know about universal SmartPhrases, which are available to all users, but SmartPhrases created by Americollect can be assigned to specific users who work within that area of the Epic system.

Now you may be wondering, how can this save me time?

Here is an example for you to consider, instead of typing something like, “Verified guarantor’s name, date of birth, address and insurance …” you can use the SmartPhrase “.verify”. SmartPhrases suddenly make your staff available to spend more time listening and less time typing.

SmartPhrases are Stackable

You can have a SmartPhrase for nearly every conversation your employees can have with a guarantor. Collecting a payment – .payment. A patient asks about financial assistance – .finaid. Having a robust library of stackable SmartPhrases means your staff can spend less time typing and more time working with the patients you care for. When staff utilize SmartPhrases, they do not have to worry about knowing exactly what information they need to gather. They have the confidence to know that by bringing the SmartPhrase into the notes, they can see what questions they need to ask, and what answers are needed to finish the documentation.

SmartLinks for SmartPhrases

When a SmartPhrase is used, it can include SmartLinks that pull information such as name, balance, etc., directly from the chart into the note. Not only does this help increase speed, it also minimizes human error that can occur when quickly changing between screens.

In addition to speeding up documentation, a major bonus to using SmartPhrases is the consistency it creates. When the information added to notes is consistent, it makes reviews easier because the people reading it know what they can expect. While users do have the ability to add their own text before or after a SmartPhrase is used, having a solid basis for information gives consistency to a place where it hasn’t always been before.

Achieving Successful Coding Reviews

Speed and consistency lead to a third positive, successful coding reviews. Part of the coding review is ensuring that the correct part of the account is being reviewed and documented. The consistency that comes from using SmartPhrases allows code reviews to happen quickly and concisely.

Just like in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, the right SmartPhrases can open doors to the unimaginable. Successfully implementing SmartPhrases for adding notes, patient verification and collecting early out payments is your “Open Sesame.”

By utilizing SmartPhrases in Epic, your employees can go from franticly typing, trying to capture everything to using short phrases that bring the needed information directly into the notes. This will help save users time while increasing consistency and setting your staff up for coding review success.

If you’re using Epic or are thinking about switching, contact us today to learn more about the SmartPhrases Americollect has created and how they can help your staff find something more valuable than treasure – Time.