EHR Technology Platforms Discussion Paper
In a 750-1,000 word essay, research and explain various EHR technology platforms. Include the following:

1. Describe two different technology platforms used in leading EHR systems.

2. Contrast the benefits and challenges for the EHR technology platforms you selected. Include at least two benefits and two challenges for each platform.

3. Explain why each technology platform you selected was developed.

4. Identify which current EHR systems use the technology platforms you selected.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
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EHR Technology Platforms

1. Describe two different technology platforms used in leading EHR systems.

The two leading EHR platforms used in (determined by number of implementations) the USA are Epic and Cerner. Firstly, EPIC is a EHR that has been mainly adopted by large inpatient settings and medical groups. Over the last five years, KLAS Research ranked Epic EHR platform as the best among the largest EHR platforms. The platform is reported to have notable advantages that include being easy to use and implement in a health care organization.  EHR Technology Platforms Discussion Paper  Still, its functions and value are best exhibited when used in large health systems, academic medical centers and community hospitals (CareCloud, 2021). The platform supports patient experiences, clinicals, and specialties and ancillaries. It supports patient experiences by providing them with tools to be healthier, such as making the medical information accessible, facilitating contact with medical personnel, and scheduling contacts with medical personnel. It supports clinicals to improve health care delivery by tailoring its tools, supporting medical personnel, and applying predictive analytics and embedded support tools (Epic Systems Corporation, 2021b).

Secondly, Cerner Millennium EHR platform is mainly adopted medium and large health care organizations. It is intended to support more than 55 specialties as well as the operational, financial and clinical needs of organizations (CareCloud, 2021). The platform supports an enterprise view of health care delivery, to include both outpatient and inpatient perspectives. This integration helps to support care continuum by enabling medical personnel to make data-driven, informed care decisions that do not interrupt the established workflows (Cerner Corporation, 2021).

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2. Contrast the benefits and challenges for the EHR technology platforms you selected.

Epic EHR platform presents some benefits. It is intuitive and has good ease of use as the users can easily figure out how to perform tasks on the platform without a need for extensive training. In addition, it has built-in shortcuts that help to speed up its functions. Besides that, it allows for interoperability through connection to Carequality network, EpicCare Link and Share Everywhere, all systems that facilitate interoperability. The platform faces some challenges. It is not aesthetically pleasing. Also, it has many on-screen functions that may be overwhelming for the users (Brown, 2021).

Cerner Millennium EHR platform presents significant benefits. It is useful for a wide variety of medical practices as it is designed for medium and large organizations. In addition, it has a convenient ‘Chart Search’ function, provides secure remote access to medical records, such as through smartphones, and has a user-friendly dashboard that streamlines workflows with a well-designed graphical user interface. Besides that, the platform offers implementation, training, IT and support services. Furthermore, it has interoperability capabilities that allow for patient data to be shared and accessed through CommonWell Health Alliance software. Also, it provides Cerner Ignite APIs to enable organizations to integrate third-party applications with the platform. Still, this platform faces some challenges. It has a well-designed graphical user interface that is not intuitive to use as users are faced with long, repetitive workflows. It requires training for users before they can leverage its functionalities and be comfortable using it (Brown, 2021).

3. Explain why each technology platform you selected was developed.

Epic EHR platform was developed with the intention of helping people to get well, help people stay well, and help future generations be healthier. It would achieve these intentions by chronicling the story of each patient’s health care journey over time. It is this objective that pushed the company to develop the platform as well as other software, an activity it has engaged in since 1979 (Epic Systems Corporation (2021a).

Cerner EHR platform was developed to provide health care organizations with the integrated operational, financial and clinical tools they need to provide improved outcomes across their systems. Through the platform, Cerner offers a suite of services and solutions that extend across the care continuum, all designed to help organizations operate, advance patient care, engage the community, and improve workflow efficiency (Cerner Corporation, 2021).

4. Identify which current EHR systems use the technology platforms you selected.

EHR systems that use EPIC EHR platform include: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Massachusetts General Hospital; Montefiore Medical Center – Henry and Lucy Moses Hospital; University of Michigan Hospital; Cedars-Sinai Medical Center;    UCSF Medical Center at Parnassus Heights; University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; NYU Langone Medical Center – Tisch Hospital; Stanford Hospital; and Cleveland Hospital (Definitive Healthcare, 2021).

EHR systems that use EPIC EHR platform include: John H Stroger Hospital; UAB Hospital; Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center; Christiana Hospital; UH Cleveland Medical Center; Methodist University Hospital; UPMC Presbyterian ShadySide; Carolinas Medical Center; IU Health Methodist Hospital; and Florida Hospital Orlando (Definitive Healthcare, 2021).

References

Brown, F. (2021, May 3). Cerner vs. Epic: Comparing The Biggest EHR Vendors. https://technologyadvice.com/blog/healthcare/cerner-vs-epic/#differences

CareCloud (2021). Top EHR software vendors of 2020 comparison. https://www.carecloud.com/top-ehr-vendors/

Cerner Corporation (2021). Hospitals & Health Systems. https://www.cerner.com/solutions/health-systems

Definitive Healthcare (2021). Healthcare Insights: Top Hospitals by Inpatient EHR Vendor. https://www.definitivehc.com/resources/healthcare-insights/top-hospitals-by-inpatient-ehr-vendor . EHR Technology Platforms Discussion Paper