Clinical Optimization Services 2020
Who Can Help Pull the Right Levers to Accelerate EMR Value?

In High-Scoring Field, Chartis Is Best in KLAS (Serving Cerner/Epic Health Systems)

Clinical optimization is one of the highest-rated services that KLAS measures. Four of the five firms in this study have overall scores above 90.0, and the fifth is rated 89.9. Chartis Group clients report the highest satisfaction overall (and the firm is the 2020 Best in KLAS winner for this segment). Nordic also stands out for consistently delivering a positive experience across clients.

THREE LEVERS OF OPTIMIZATION

Clinical optimization projects focus on improving how clinical systems operate and are used by clinicians, and these services should result in improved patient care, ROI, and physician use and adoption.

To accomplish these goals, the firms in this report help clients activate three primary levers:

Provider organizations often turn to clinical optimization firms when they lack sufficient resources or expertise internally to meet their goals in the desired time frame. Engagements are usually sparked by an event—like the implementation of a new EMR, a significant upgrade, or the decision to standardize to a single EMR platform (often after a provider organization acquisition). Many organizations use different firms for different levers.

Effects of Clinical Optimization on Clinician Experience

The chart below, based on research from the KLAS Arch Collaborative (a collective of provider organizations measuring and improving end users’ EMR experience), shows which provider-reported optimization efforts are most impactful for clinicians. This data comes from organizations who measured end-user satisfaction, implemented improvement initiatives, and then re-measured.

Workflow Refinement

Workflow refinement is the foundation of clinical optimization and the starting point for three firms in this report: Chartis Group, Impact Advisors, and Nordic. The other two measured firms, Atos and NHA, were used by respondents primarily for clinician training and application enhancement, respectively.

Chartis, Nordic Clients Praise Epic Expertise and Strategic Role

Of the three levers, workflow refinement requires the most expertise in business processes, as consultants are expected to optimize EMR workflows in a way that works well for clinicians. Consultants of all firms received compliments from customers, but Chartis Group’s staff is rated the highest. Clients say the firm’s seasoned staff and Epic expertise were key to success, and they also express appreciation for consultants’ strategic help, which took the form of candid advice, best practices, and creative problem-solving. Nordic clients say they benefit from strong expertise; many of the firm’s consultants are former Epic employees. Atos and NHA respondents are the most likely to mention knowledge gaps.

Clinician Training

According to KLAS’ Arch Collaborative data, clinicians who report having good training are much more likely to be satisfied with their EMR overall, yet clinician training is the least commonly used clinical optimization lever, perhaps because it yields the least quantifiable outcomes. Most respondents considered training a more minor element of their engagement. When present, training efforts involved creating a curriculum and providing traditional classroom learning. By a solid margin, Atos had the highest percentage of interviewed clients use them for clinician training.

Atos’ Technology-Enabled Training Brings High Value

Arch Collaborative data shows effective training depends more on quality than setting or timing. Atos (formerly The Breakaway Group) offers clinical optimization services focused primarily on clinician training, including curriculum development and delivery (via several modalities). Respondents especially praise the effectiveness of Atos’ simulation software, which mimics the client’s EMR environment for educational purposes. The long-term usefulness of Atos’ tools contributes to their leading money’s worth rating.

FIRM PROFILES

Atos: Works with health systems of all sizes, primarily those using Cerner. Focus is clinician training, including classroom training. Key strength is their EMR-simulation tools, customized to the client’s EMR environment and effective for end users. Engagements tend to be long term as clients work through staged rollouts of EMR functionality across the organization.

Chartis Group: Works mainly with large health systems. Validated for work on Cerner and Epic EMRs. Provides services related to all three levers, but most often workflow refinement for operational readiness programs by clients migrating users to Epic. On average, engagements are short term (one year) and involve a handful of consultants.

Impact Advisors: Works with large and small organizations rolling out Epic. Validated for workflow refinement, application enhancement, and clinician training. Optimization work often preceded by implementation planning engagement. Epic expertise is valuable for defining areas of opportunity on top of Epic’s foundational systems. Optimization engagements last less than a year on average.

Navin, Haffty & Associates (NHA) (limited data): The only firm validated for clinical optimization work on MEDITECH. Most clients are standalone hospitals who need help with application enhancements and filling clinical analyst gaps. Projects tend to be specific and small, with an average of a couple of consultants over five months.

Nordic: Works mostly with large health systems, mainly those using Epic. Validated for helping clients with all three levers. More likely than other firms to be working with existing Epic users on optimization efforts unrelated to a new implementation.