Challenge
Create a more seamless, efficient documentation workflow that enables better patient relationships and outcomes.
Solution
Results
- Improvement in provider satisfaction rates and adoption of speech technologies.
- Consistent user profiles made for a successful EHR Go-Live.
Like many healthcare organizations worldwide, Tanner Health System is fully committed to the rural communities they serve. That mission extends beyond fighting illness and injury and encompasses whole health for all their people. As a result, Tanner Health makes essential investments, such as supporting mental health and wellbeing for patients and providers alike. Through this commitment, they also recently invested in a new EHR, which is at the heart of exemplary patient care and outcomes.
As they transition to and get comfortable with the new platform, Tanner Health System providers rely on Nuance Dragon Medical One to make the process as seamless as possible. Dragon Medical One is a secure, cloud-based speech solution designed for speed, accuracy, and flexibility. It offers a consistent and personalized documentation experience, empowering providers to use their voice to capture patient stories more naturally and efficiently securely.
“The patients don’t see you looking at a keyboard and clicking. They see you talking about what’s going on with them, and that allows them to see how much you’ve listened. It helps you bond better with them.”
Dr. Bonnie Boles, CMIO, Tanner Health System
Providers embrace Dragon Medical One
Dr. Bonnie Boles, CMIO for Tanner Health System, believes that the go-live process for the new Epic EHR was successful in large part because of the Nuance solution. “The fact that we could keep our user profiles and give the doctors a consistent experience they’ve been used to has made our lives much easier at the go-live, and the providers absolutely loved it,” she explains.
Tanner Health System providers can launch Dragon Medical One directly from the EHR and then rely on their automated commands and macros to complete their documentation workflow. And when it’s time to describe the patient, their condition, and treatment plan, voice recognition means telling complete stories directly into the note template.
Since go-live, Dr. Boles notes that Dragon Medical One has also had a significant, positive impact on their telemedicine program, which has grown in importance in recent years. “The providers are delighted with their ability to capture their narratives and be robust in their dictation. One of our teleneurologists said, ‘I love it, and Tanner Health should love it too because my notes are so much better.’”
Robust patient stories and higher quality care
Without a speech-enabled documentation workflow, Dr. Boles says that providers too often know that they’ll be documenting notes well into the evening, missing dinners and family events, and falling behind with patients in the waiting room. The combination not only diminishes provider satisfaction but also can contribute to feelings of burnout.
Dragon Medical One has been a game-changer for Tanner Health. “Providers are more relaxed with the patients, and patients appreciate these more natural interactions. You are not looking down at a keyboard and clicking. Instead, they see you talking about what’s going on with them, and that allows them to see how much you’ve listened. It helps you bond better with the patients.”
An excellent win for the hospital system
The combination of Dragon Medical One with the Epic EHR has proven to be a great win for the hospital system. The positive impacts on patient interactions and provider satisfaction are profound, and Dr. Boles explains that the system’s bottom line has also benefitted. “In the last year, we have spent $613 on transcription costs—down from $2 million. That’s a huge win for the hospital system, as well as for me personally as CMIO.”
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