Healthcare’s shift to patient-centered, value-based care means that point-of-care testing (POCT) increases in value. When implemented in the correct patient scenarios, the rapid turnaround time (TAT) that POCT offers can improve patient outcomes and eliminate or reduce downstream costs. In order to achieve immediate access to those results and reap the benefits of POCT, the results must be readily available in the EHR—meaning POCT must be integrated to achieve its full potential.
Improve Efficiency & Patient Safety
In addition to placing results at the care team’s fingertips to guide clinical decisions, integrated POCT reduces time spent manually typing in results and eliminates errors inherent to manually entered results. In the advancing arena of healthcare data analytics to support patient-centered care and population health management, it is no longer a luxury to have POCT electronically integrated—it is a necessity. POCT must be immediately available in the patients’ charts so that the benefits associated with rapid TAT are fully realized and POCT data is included in the overall data snapshot of the healthcare organization to facilitate analytics-driven business decisions.
POC Data is Essential in Value-based Care
As healthcare evolves and payment models shift to become more risk-based, there are opportunities for a POCT connectivity solution, such as Orchard® Point-of Care™, to make a difference in our healthcare environment. There is a significant amount of data at the point of care; not only laboratory data, but also other patient vital signs and measures that need to be captured and included in metrics for value-based and risk-sharing contracts. Collecting this data can help close care gaps (e.g., CPT II codes) and assist with population health management, to the benefit of both patients and caregivers. Managing data at the point of patient contact improves value-based contract performance. For example, a significant amount of POCT data is collected to track diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Ensuring capture and inclusion of this data can influence Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) and Star ratings, resulting in a positive impact on risk-based or value-based contract performance.
Orchard Software’s POCT Management & Connectivity Solution—Orchard Point-of-Care
At Orchard Software, we know that POCT plays an important role as healthcare continues to make changes focused on improving patient care, and we are aware of the many challenges surrounding POCT. Because of the direction healthcare is headed, we realize it is important to have POCT results electronically integrated and available in the EHR. To address the connectivity challenge, Orchard offers several deployment options, depending on your facility’s specific needs. In addition to providing connectivity, Orchard’s solutions can track certification management, allow for remote monitoring of QC, and enable rules-based decision support questions at the POC. The flexibility of Orchard’s products offers a variety of ways to meet your POCT management and connectivity needs. If you would like to learn more about Orchard’s POCT management and connectivity solutions, please call (800) 856-1948, visit Orchard Point-of-Care, or contact us at sales@orchardsoft.com.
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