Long-term post-acute care (LTPAC) providers invest a great deal into their Electronic Health Record (EHR) system of choice. But this powerful clinical tool is only as valuable as the information within it - and the users behind it. To cash in on all its possible benefits, it needs to be configured to meet the specialized needs of your unique organization, integrated into your processes and work flows, and understood by your end users. A little extra insight, training and configuration can go a long way in helping staff increase productivity, minimize risk, and accelerate decisions to improve care delivery.

As a strategic alliance partner and certified training partner of PointClickCare®, we are excited to share some of our secrets on the industry’s leading EHR. Well, maybe they are not secrets per se, but overlooked features just waiting to be appreciated for the power they behold. Many of these features are included with a standard package, and other options require an additional fee. Do not let that deter you though; depending on the needs of your organization, paying a little more upfront for an enhanced feature could save you significantly more time and money in the long run. 

Below is our run-down of some underutilized but valuable features within PointClickCare:

Basic Features (included in all standard packages):

Dashboards
The dashboard can (and should) be configured in a way that is the most beneficial to an individual’s position within the organization. If configured properly, it can provide valuable insight for managing workflows and tasks, and prioritizing actions accordingly.

Portals
With access to this feature, users can better identify areas of concern within the entire facility. This may include residents with concerning weights and vitals, the scheduling and/or status of assessments, as well as labs and diagnostics. An additional feature is the communications portal, which allows staff to communicate internal information that is protected by HIPAA. Using this tool in lieu of traditional communication books that can walk away from the facility decreases the risk of a security breach.

User Defined Information Report
This feature allows a user to generate reports on any information your community selected to set-up in these fields. The report shows what has been entered in these fields for each resident, and information can be viewed by resident or the described item. For example, reports can display a patient’s Medicaid certification period for which there is a plan of care, and the number of days before the certification period ends. After Medicaid recertification dates are initially entered into PointClickCare (in the resident profile), providers will need to pull this report monthly to avoid missing recertification due dates. Missed deadlines could result in losing the payer source and thus, payment altogether. 

Resource Hub 
Perhaps the most underutilized system feature, this tool’s recent facelift may have left some users wondering “who moved my cheese?” Although now a completely new look and feel, great information is still available. Accessible within the application by clicking on the question mark icon , users can quickly obtain important product updates, notifications and support. Users who are looking to self-train in a particular area can request access to a wide range of training, which can easily be found by filtering by category. 

SMARTZone
This interactive tool offers more than 450 self-paced training e-courses and more than 30 re-occurring virtual instructor led sessions, for more than 250 combined hours of training. Once a user has been enrolled and a user account is created, they can browse the full course library and self-enroll according to their roles or interests (some courses require supervisor preapproval). Supervisors can also assign specific courses and due dates, monitor progress, and run reports to track completion. 

Related Article: Is It Time for an EHR Health Check? How to Evaluate Your Current EHR Software

PointClickCare Add-On Features Worth Considering:

Relias Learning
This learning management system (LMS) caters specifically to the long-term post-acute care market. There are over 200 clinical and financial eCourses and instructor-led training, and courses can be assigned based on job roles. Course competition is recorded for the facility, and assignments can qualify for continuing education requirements. 

Eligibility Verification
To minimize the risk of non-payment, providers must verify insurance eligibility for each patient prior to admissions, and regularly for the duration of their stay. This integrated feature allows users to automate that process by checking eligibility for multiple providers and patients at once. Insurance coverage checking reports will identify recent changes and bring them to your attention, allowing staff to investigate and make any necessary changes.

Performance Insights
Designed to provide an analytical picture of an organization’s health, this feature takes near real-time data and delivers it in a way that is easy to understand. Performance Insights offers organizational visibility to clinical, financial and operational metrics to enhance patient care, improve quality and drive reimbursement.

Practitioner Engagement 
This mobile solution offers physicians and practitioners remote and secure access to resident records, including the ability to view charts, bulk sign orders, e-prescribe, and conduct compliant conversations throughout the continuum of care. With increased access to information and greater collaboration among care teams, providers can make informed and timely decisions regarding a resident’s care. 

Electronic Prescribing for Controlled Substances (EPCS)
When prescription of a controlled substance is needed, practitioners can use this module to initiate orders, evaluate potential clinical interactions, and electronically sign the order.

Not only is this convenient for practitioners working offsite, but it eliminates the need for traditional order processes (paper, fax, email and phone), which can tie up valuable time and resources. 

Enhance Outcomes with Richter

Richter maintains a dedicated division of certified PointClickCare® trainers and implementers, each with more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry. We believe strongly in the platform and can customize configuration, training and support services to help improve your organization’s functionality, performance and end-user experience. Our solutions include: 

• System configuration based on your usage, payers, contracts, revenue codes and other variables
• Full integration of add-on modules into your operation
• Optimizing workflows to increase efficiency across your organization
• Customized training and ongoing support

To learn more about Richter and how we can support you and your team, contact us here or call us at 866.806.0799.