May 6, 2020 — If you use the Epic electronic medical record or EMR, then UF Health IT Services has you covered.

What?

The Epic Training Team invites you to check out the newly updated Epic EMR website designed for Gainesville users. Our providers, clinicians and support teams use Epic software to access, organize, store and share patient medical records. Epic’s applications support functions related to patient care, including registration and scheduling; clinical systems for doctors, nurses, emergency personnel and other care providers; systems for lab technologists, pharmacists and radiologists; and billing systems for insurers. Users’ ability to navigate Epic efficiently is essential to the delivery of care and the positive patient experience.

Who?

The site is for faculty, residents, providers and staff from UF Health Shands, the UF College of Medicine and UF Health Physicians who use Epic EMR tools and applications.

Where?

Log into the UF Health network and link to https://epictrain.health.ufl.edu/ or search “Epic Training” in the Bridge portal search tool.

Why?

Providers familiar with the site can quickly find answers to questions without having to request help.

“We want to make sure everyone’s aware of the great tools available,” said Lisa Merry, R.N., M.S.N., UF Health IT Services Clinical Applications, Training lead. “We still hear from faculty and staff who didn’t know the Epic EMR training site exists, so we want to share the improvements and encourage visits.”

Details

The revamped, user-friendly site offers the following:

• Application Training and Documentation
  • Links to Update/Upgrade HQ information for all applications
  • Links to documentation for specific user groups (including ambulatory, anesthesia, emergency, oncology, lab and pathology, health information management, billing, and hospital outpatient departments, etc.)
• Training and Resources
  • Training modules, e-learning links, videos
  • Epic UserWeb and Epic Playground
• The “For Providers” link to provider-specific resources
  • Tip Sheets for efficiency
  • Provider how-to videos
  • The Topic of the Month section
  • Inpatient & Ambulatory Resource links
• Help links to FAQs and access requests
• The Epic training calendar
• Maps to IT Services classrooms
• Contacts and a feedback form to suggest improvements to the site

“The tutorial videos are made in-house by our providers. Each is just a few minutes, and the featured physician explains and demonstrates Epic functionality, customization and efficient workflows based on our Epic build,” said Judith Brownlee, RHIA, UF Health IT Services Clinical Applications Training coordinator. “Our providers use these products daily. Investing a few minutes to watch a video pays off with improved efficiency over time.”

Content is designed and kept current based on feedback from medical staff and providers. Videos span inpatient and ambulatory care resources (Prep for Case use and Customization, Notes and Smart Tools, Epic MyLink and PSR Quick Link). Check out the “Communication & Suggestions” form to suggest topics and share a provider spotlight or a department improvement project you did so others will know.

This effort has been led by our associate chief medical informatics officers, Brian C. Lobo, M.D., UF College of Medicine assistant professor of otolaryngology, and Danielle Nelson, M.D., UF College of Medicine assistant professor of community health and family medicine, and IT partners Judith Brownlee, RHIA, Clinical Applications-Training coordinator; and Merry.

“Physicians are time-strapped and want to be able to solve their own problems without waiting,” Lobo said. “EPIC can often feel limiting, but if you take the time to explore all of the options it has, a world of opportunity opens up for efficiency. We’ve loaded the new site with a la carte tools and solutions designed by people who actually see patients. In fact, I’m making a library of tutorial videos to showcase some of the features I actually use to make using EPIC work better for me.”

He added, “It’s important we offer help on demand, to empower providers so they don’t have to call for support unless there an issue that they really cannot figure out.”