Philosophy and design approach for the EMR

Blue Cliff adopts a user-centric philosophy and design approach in the implementation of electronic medical records (EMR). Both the iMedica PRM and VistA have been shaped by physicians. Like the VA, we believe that the design and direction of the EMR hinges upon the needs of the clinician and ancillary support staff. Cost effective EMR implementation is the result of efficient human interaction and communication facilitated by technology rather than plugging in technical solutions to fit workflow and user need. The end tool is an EMR that is user-defined, owned and managed at the enterprise level.

Blue Cliff, to actualize its user-centric philosophy, utilizes the following elements in the design, installation and implementation of an EMR:

Site Survey - Prior to the initiation of the installation and implementation effort, Blue Cliff will work with Client to conduct a site survey to confirm goals and expectations for implementation of VistA. More specifically, the outcome of the site survey will include, but not limited to, the following:
  • Identify administrative point-of-contact(s) and clinical champions.
  • Identify the computer network environment that VistA will be operating in.
  • Understand the patient and data entry/retrieval workflows.
  • Identify customization/modification requirements.
  • Map training requirements and schedule.

Project Work Plan, Schedule - Blue Cliff will provide the client with a detailed project plan and schedule based on the Scope of Work and Requirements Document.

Training Plan, Schedule - Blue Cliff will develop a detailed Training Plan and schedule to provide technical and clinical application training to the staff throughout all phases of the project.

System Specifications and Requirements - Blue Cliff will confirm the specifications and requirements of VistA through evaluation of the facilities and agency's operations and business needs. Information may be obtained through a pre-visit site assessment questionnaire, on-site visits, interviews and follow-up interviews with key personnel.

System Build and Unit Testing - Blue Cliff will assemble the components (hardware and software) of the EMR system and interface with related third party products. This includes configuring the system parameters to meet the specifications of the client.

System Testing - Blue Cliff will develop a test environment; provide test scenarios and results reporting. Documentation will be provided to support all enhancements and Interfaces.

Documentation - Blue Cliff will provide documentation describing the different features of the VistA software and technical configuration. Documentation will include but may not be limited to functional and technical user manuals including use of VistA and third party applications in the operation process, server configuration, customizations, modifications and interfaces.

Workflow Review - Existing patient and data entry and retrieval workflows will be reviewed and documented. Leveraging electronic data entry and retrieval functionality, Blue Cliff will make recommendations to re-engineer the department workflow if needed.