Imagine visiting the hospital and not having to repeat your health history more than once. Or seeing your doctor and knowing that the latest in medical research is at his or her fingertips. Or receiving medication and feeling assured that your pharmacist's expertise is backed up by an extensive system designed to prevent drug interactions or other mistakes.

That's where Adventist Health and its 19 hospitals are headed—thanks to Project IntelliCare, a clinical information system.

Project IntelliCare is a multi-million dollar project aimed at bringing Adventist Health to the forefront of medical information technology. When completed, caregivers will be able to access patient records, lab results, pharmacy support and more—all electronically.

"By leveraging the power of technology, we will be able to provide even safer, more effective and efficient care to those we serve," said project director Lee Ann Shearing, RN, MPA.

Starting with the End in Mind

After extensive planning, Project IntelliCare kicked off four years ago at Adventist Medical Center in Portland, Oregon. Following that success, it rolled out at all other Adventist Health locations, completing the first two phases of the project late last year.

"It was such an honor to be involved in the process. It's been fun to see the Project IntelliCare in action," said surgeon Wes Rippey, M.D., board member at both AMC and Adventist Health. "This exciting new technology gives the hospital system a real advantage in an increasingly complex and competitive health care environment."

Transforming Workflow

In a hospital department traditionally dependent on paper charts, such as case management, Project IntelliCare can greatly streamline work.

"As more and more of the medical record go online, case managers can do their jobs better and better," said Tom Harris, RN, continuum of care director at Glendale Adventist Medical Center. "They can prep for the day and hit the ground running, allowing them more face time with physicians, instead of chasing after patient charts."

At GAMC, it's estimated that up to 70 percent of patient records are available electronically, and that percentage increases as time goes on.

"My staff spends at least half of their workday using Project IntelliCare or information directly from the system," stated Harris.

"Another great element is that it creates a direct link between clinical departments and financial departments—in real time," he added. By taking a C.O.W. (computer on wheels) to a patient's bedside, case managers can answers patient questions immediately.

Care in Any Location

Another outgrowth of the system is satellite pharmacy, which allows pharmacists from larger hospitals to fill orders at smaller facilities that are unable to staff pharmacies around the clock.

After 40 years as a pharmacist at GAMC, John Scoggins, PharmD, is a big fan of Project IntelliCare. Thanks to the cutting-edge technology, he has immediate access to information that helps him do his job more effectively.

For example, Scoggins authorizes pharmacy orders at night for sister-facility Ukiah Valley Medical Center in Northern California. "Thanks to Project IntelliCare, I can do my job better, safer and easier," he said.

Physician Focus

The joke about doctors having poor handwriting isn't just a matter of penmanship. Handwritten orders and notes allow opportunity for miscommunication and pose potential safety problems. So, a major goal for Project IntelliCare is to build a platform for physicians to document and plan care online.

While this goal will take some time to realize, future phases of Project IntelliCare will focus on creating tools for physicians to use within the system. The first step is to embed best practices into the system, including a recognized reference database that allows physicians to find the latest medical research in their field.

"It's the ultimate dream," said Kathy Buckner, RN, assistant vice president of clinical information systems. "All of the patient's information is integrated. The physician enters orders online and is guided with the latest and greatest information."

Awards

While there is still much work to be done before Project IntelliCare is complete in 2012, the system already has been lauded. In late 2006, Adventist Health received a Distinguished Achievement Award from Cerner, the vendor for Project IntelliCare's software.

Neal Patterson, founder and CEO of Cerner, met with Project IntelliCare leaders to commend Adventist Health for the complicated implementation of so many applications throughout its facilities in a short period of time. Customarily, hospital systems may introduce a piece of the software, but not the entire system such as Adventist Health has done.

Patterson said, "Although many organizations are working to achieve what Adventist Health accomplished, they are part of a select group and in many ways are leading the way to providing the quality patient care we have all come to desire and expect."

"Project IntelliCare is revolutionizing the health care experience for those we care for as well as those who deliver it," said Buckner. "This is a natural extension of our mission. From the smallest facility to the largest, all of our hospitals benefit in terms of satisfied patients and quality care."