Avoiding Shortcut Pitfalls During Epic Implementations
By Vicki Cervantez

Rapid Install. Quick Install. Epic Starter Set. These are all terms that describe the latest methods used to implement Epic’s Software. These types of implementations can work well and save money, as long as you avoid common shortcut pitfalls. The problem is, sometimes, shortcuts create problems that require huge amounts of rework. Many times, these shortcuts occur in the Master Files and the fields within the Master Files. Too many times during a rapid install it’s tempting to duplicate or copy existing records. This can lead to mistakes, such as:

• forgetting to change abbreviations
• short names
• specialties
• leaving fields blank

These fields show in reports and may cause confusion for users. Imagine the time it would take to find the records that are incorrect and fix every record that has a problem. It takes twice as long to go back and correct records as it does to put the correct information in the first time.

Even when creating new records, it may seem that leaving fields blank will save time, but not if you look at the big picture. What is the effect of that field on the module being implemented? If in the future, additional Epic modules are installed, will it cause issues or additional work for other analysts by leaving the fields blank? A blank field may not initially look like a problem until reports are run at go-live and the information is not there or it is misrepresented.

Naming conventions and abbreviations can be important for the same reason. A user begins to look for information and becomes confused because the abbreviations have been copied from several different records; which mean that they may not correctly represent an item or location. Patient care can be compromised when abbreviations are incorrect or hard to understand. For example, if the abbreviation for a CT Scan “with contrast” is confused with the abbreviation for “without contrast”, the patient may have the wrong procedure.

There is no reason to leave blanks in a Master File if another module will need that same field. To get the best results and see how it will impact everyone from the beginning, fill in the appropriate fields from the start (i.e. Specialty fields for Resources in the SER Master file). This helps prevent any surprise changes when the next module comes up and another group needs that field filled in for their purposes. Cooperation between modules is extremely important.

While getting the job done and saving money is the overall goal for all, it’s also important to keep rework at a minimum. This will save money, save time, and avoid frustration for everyone. Take the time to know what each field represents before making the decision to leave it blank or to just copy over existing information to another record. The result will be a cleaner, smoother go-live!

For more information about implementing Epic software please email us at vcs@getvitalized.com or call us at 610.444.1233. You can find more information about VCS and the services and solutions we offer by visiting our website at www.getvitalized.com.