Connect

Dear Colleagues,

As our electronic medical record system, Epic is an important tool our Health Information Technology (HIT) team actively supports and updates throughout the year to improve system performance, enhance functionality, and increase efficiency.

Our next major Epic upgrade — the Quad Upgrade — will occur on Sunday, Nov. 5, beginning at 12:55 a.m. and it is important that all team members take time to prepare for the changes you will encounter. Training materials are available starting today in the Epic Learning Library and typical users should plan to spend about 30 minutes reviewing them to be prepared for the Quad changes.

Preparing for the Epic Quad Upgrade

• Role-based training materials are available now in Epic Upgrade — Epic Learning Library.
  • These training resources explain key changes and how the Quad Upgrade will impact your Epic experience. They provide step-by-step guidance on how to prepare for and navigate the upgraded Epic system.
  • The materials include access to a practice environment (playground) and a new Epic Learning Dashboard, among other tools. Learn more on Connect.
• Expected downtime to execute the upgrade is approximately 90 minutes, beginning at 12:55 a.m. on Nov. 5 (Epic was already scheduled to be offline during this time due to Daylight Saving Time, so we are taking advantage of this previously scheduled downtime to minimize disruptions).

While the impact of the Quad Upgrade on team members is expected to be modest, we want our team members to be ready. Here are some of the key differences you may notice:

• Patient Registration Navigator — “jump to” fields enhanced to reduce clicks when correcting errors.
• Simplified Communications — the Letters and Communications Activities are merging into a new, streamlined, one-stop shop for letter writing.
• Snapboard — now more intuitive, redesigned to help team members find relevant information and complete tasks faster.
• Flowsheets Macro Tool — this new feature will allow clinicians to save time on documentation by creating and utilizing Macros for sets of data that are frequently entered.
• Dashboards — several changes are coming for Reporting and Slicer Dicer, including greater flexibility with Dashboards and access to more Data Models.

To learn more about the Epic Quad Upgrade and to read answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), please visit Connect.

Thank you in advance for embracing these important technology updates that further our strategic plan goal of strengthening our foundation to enhance our healthcare operations and improve health outcomes for all Virginians and beyond.  

Sincerely,

Robin Parkin, CPHIMS, CHCIO
Chief Information and Technology Officer
UVA Health