Nichole Burke, RN, clinical director of Atlanta-based GI Specialists of Georgia, elaborated on the process her practice undertook when selecting an endoscopy report writer.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for style and clarity.
Question: Why did GI Specialists implement an endoscopy report writer system?
Nichole Burke: As a growing provider with eight locations and three ASCs, it was important for us to have an endoscopy report writer that would help us improve reporting, monitor quality improvement initiatives and establish efficient workflows at the practice. We knew that if we wanted to succeed in providing quality care to our patients while remaining up-to-date with industry standards, we needed a tool that could keep up with growing demand.
Q: What was the decision process like to select a system?
NB: Several physicians in our practice wanted to move forward with an ERW they had previously used in hospital settings, which [was] to be expected. Have you ever met a physician who wanted to learn a new workflow? However, we collectively decided to choose a technology that was brand-new to our team, but one that our providers were also very receptive to — the gGastro ERW — which I think says a lot about the platform's ease of use.
During the vetting process, we had a dedicated committee, and were looking for technology that would allow us to keep our providers focused on patients, stay ahead of growing demands and improve overall efficiencies. I've worked in other ASCs that utilized different endoscopy report writer systems, which were cumbersome. When we started looking for a new solution, we felt it was important to leverage an industry-leading tool — one that would help eliminate redundancies and come equipped with features to streamline our daily tasks.
It was also very important for us to know we had a strong team behind us, especially during the implementation process as there's always a bit of a learning curve with new technology. It was clear to see that Modernizing Medicine Gastroenterology would be there to support us through the onboarding process and has remained extremely responsive on the day-to-day. At the end of the day, we went with the gGastro ERW because it hit on all our requirements and provided added-value tools and features that we knew would help enhance our productivity, improve efficiency and drive our ASC forward.
Q: How has the ERW benefited the practice since it was implemented?
NB: [The] gGastro ERW is extremely user-friendly, and our providers can essentially fill in the blanks with all necessary patient information with the option to add customized notes. The interface presents key information on a single screen which makes it possible for our physicians to generate a wide variety of detailed reports, like procedure and discharge notes and referring physician letters in a matter of minutes. This software has also enabled us to perform more in-depth assessments while helping us ensure consistency across documentation. One example of this is that we had several patients complain of dental damage. We now enter the dental hygiene prior to the procedure, so we have a baseline moving forward.
From an administrative standpoint, the gGastro ERW has built-in features that help me quality check and improve workflows. For example, through patient satisfaction surveys, we found that our patients felt they were waiting too long in pre-op and using the built-in time tracker feature, we were able to identify the source of the bottleneck and outline solutions in just one day.
Q: If other centers were considering an endoscopy report writer, what would be one thing from your process that you'd advise they copy?
NB: Overall, I think it's imperative to select a technology that can deliver on the key elements/results that are important to your practice. I would urge those who are vetting new technology to stop and think about what is important to the function and future of the practice. Then, put in some time to gather information from people who are already using the solution — call references and ask for site visits. Also, make it a point to observe staff interactions with the system. With gGastro, we felt like ease of use and product support spoke for themselves and were critical to our decision-making process.