EHR Integration: PerfectServe Messaging for Epic & Oracle Health

What is EHR-embedded messaging?

Embedded messaging is a popular feature that integrates secure clinical communication directly within an EHR interface. Rather than switching from the medical record to a separate app for communication, embedded messaging allows clinicians to view and send messages related to a specific patient right from the EHR.

How does embedded messaging work? 

Traditional communication workflows require a clinician to exit the EHR to message other care team members. Patient context—name, MRN, room number, diagnosis/chief complaint, etc.—is not automatically pulled into messages with this kind of workflow, so if a provider needs to include it, they have to type it out manually.

This workflow takes time and leaves room for errors and typos, and when you factor in the app switching, it’s just not an efficient way for clinicians to communicate with one another.  

With embedded messaging, the workflow becomes much simpler. If a nurse is in the EHR looking at a particular patient and decides, for example, that he needs to message the covering physician about a medication order, he can just flip over to a dedicated messaging tab within the EHR.

Benefits of the embedded messaging integration

• Significant time savings: Integrations Manager Kevin Johnson says embedded messaging is a “massive time saver” for clinicians, especially nurses who frequently initiate messages about patients. If a nurse sends 20 messages in a shift and the embedded workflow saves 1 minute each time (versus using a separate communication app), that’s 20 minutes they can dedicate to their patients and other important tasks.
• Increased productivity and morale: Streamlined workflows lead to an increase in productivity and improved morale for users, making their work less clunky. By reducing the amount of process- or tech-related toil they battle every day, you can make it much easier for clinicians to just … do their jobs.
• Unexpected uses: Embedded messaging can even enable discreet communication for critical situations. If a nurse is in a patient room and senses increasing agitation to the point that she feels unsafe, an embedded messaging layout can allow her to silently initiate a team alert that is instantly delivered to campus security, the attending physician, the charge nurse, the unit clerk, and other relevant parties. This kind of silent and rapid communication can stop a scary situation before it unfolds.

How to implement embedded messaging technology

These two integrations work in tandem to create a tighter and more harmonious relationship between the patient record and the clinical communication system.  

As an example, deep linking allows clinicians using the PerfectServe mobile app to tap an icon in the message thread to launch Epic’s Haiku or Rover apps with the patient already in context. This creates a complementary workflow: a nurse can use embedded messaging in the EHR to alert a physician, who then uses deep linking on their mobile device to quickly access the patient chart to place orders, and then return to PerfectServe to notify the nurse.

To get started, a healthcare system must first have an HL7 ADT integration in place to feed patient lists to PerfectServe. If the ADT integration is already established, connectivity can typically be shown in a QA environment in about four weeks, with production deployment following in a couple more weeks, Kevin says.

Users must also have their EHR user name configured in PerfectServe to allow for accurate linking of accounts between the two systems.

Experience embedded messaging today

PerfectServe’s embedded messaging is a powerful integration that streamlines clinical communication directly within the EHR. It saves time, boosts productivity, and enhances clinician morale. To learn a bit more about this popular integration, check out the PDF below.