Breaking down the barriers to information sharing is critical for optimal patient care. Physicians need all relevant data when making decisions, and that ability is compromised when data is silo’d in different systems. Many radiology practices create HL7 connections to bridge disparate systems and get data flowing.
HL7 is more efficient than faxing—where hours are lost to order follow-up on the phone—but when a practice services hundreds of referring physicians, the sheer volume quickly reveals the limitations of building HL7 connections.
East Valley Diagnostic Imaging (EVDI) faced this exact challenge. A thriving practice—with seven clinical sites and 44 radiologists—in Mesa, Arizona, EVDI knew that there had to be a better way.
70%
Percentage of faxed orders that require follow-up by call center personnel
200
Calls per day that call center personnel cannot work, because they are clarifying a faxed order
70%
Percentage of faxed orders that require follow-up by call center personnel
200
Calls per day that call center personnel cannot work, because they are clarifying a faxed order
Faxing: Tapping Into Technology
The EVDI team knew that technology was the key to the problem and had established HL7 connections with referring physician offices. HL7 connections allow the referrer to send orders directly and securely to EVDI. “The number of connections we were servicing were growing at an alarming rate,” said Valerie Sowers, EVDI’s Director of Clinical Operations. “Alarming because they cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 to build and maintain each connection.”
Jodi Shaffer, Director of Business Operations at EVDI, said, “The population is aging, which means that orders are increasing. While increased volume is certainly a positive, we have to deliver high-quality service in a cost-effective way. It was a constant challenge to increase HL7 connections fast enough to maintain operations.”
“While HL7 connections were an improvement over faxing, the delays involved in connecting to referring physicians were a source of concern from a customer service standpoint,” said George Smit, IT Applications Manager at EVDI. “We had 20 to 30 HL7 connections at once, at a cost of about $300,000 and growing. Of course, every time one of our referrers made a change to their system, we had to spend multiple hours of I.T. time to ensure that the interface was still valid. That’s more cost. Something had to change.”
Convinced that technology held the answer, the EVDI team looked for the best way to leverage I.T. tools to gain the efficiencies they needed. There had to be a way to improve physician access to results without the complexity, cost, and delays of building interfaces.
EVDI Goals
- Reduce the resources required to create / maintain HL7 interfaces so that efficiency stays high for referring physicians and staff.
- Eliminate the need to create more interfaces with multiple RIS or EMRs.
- Create a system that can flex to accommodate volume –during work hours and after hours.
- Reduce IT manpower needs (FTE cost $80K–$100,000+/person).
- Resolve other workflow issues to gain cost-efficiency.
What is ScriptSender?
ScriptSender creates direct, secure, cost-effective communication solutions for healthcare organizations. Using a simple print command, referrers can transmit any document, from any application, to another medical provider—orders, prescriptions, clinical notes, lab results, anything. It is one-click integration. Providers and their referring physicians can bypass faxing, CD burning, and complex VPN or HL7 configurations.
ScriptSender’s portfolio also includes:
A Next-Level Solution
When the EVDI team started a search for a technology solution, the first priority was clarity on all requirements. Clear requirements definitions would help the team assess which product would offer the most value for the investment.
“We started to look for solutions in all the usual trade books, in the magazines, at the associations, and at the big conferences like RSNA and RBMA,” said Shaffer. At RSNA, the EVDI team heard about ScriptSender.
“ScriptSender stood out,” said Smit. “We found several companies that were offering some solutions, but only one that showed us the promise of meeting multiple objectives and concerns. That was ScriptSender.”
ScriptSender eliminates the need for site-to-site integration—and faxing. Referring providers use a virtual printer, activated with a simple point-and-click in a web browser, to transmit to EVDI’s ScriptSender server. It’s as simple as a print command—and that’s any document, from any medical group, using any EMR. ScriptSender leverages a driver native to Microsoft Windows—no installs, downloads or costs to EVDI’s referring physician.
EVDI’s referring providers can directly and securely transmit referrals, patient jackets, insurance cards, or any other clinical information. Better still, ScriptSender is not an image transfer. It’s real, usable data directly into EVDI’s system—thus eliminating data integrity issues.
“We get faster turnaround times, better utilization of resources, and stronger relationships with our referring groups,” said Sowers.
“With ScriptSender, the product was right, and the price was right. Plus implementation couldn’t have been more simple.”
— JODI SHAFFER
Director of Business Operations, EVDI
Beyond Requirements
EVDI’s original intent was to solve the escalating issue of HL7 costs. The answers came faster than EVDI expected.
“We selected ScriptSender in June or July and, after Board approval, we were operational and training personnel by mid-August. I’ve been in this business for quite some time, and it’s literally the easiest install I’ve ever been involved with,” said Shaffer.
“Implementation took one or two days, and the only reason it took that long was due to delays by our RIS and interface company,” said Smit. “This has been the easiest install I have ever had—seamless. It’s beautiful to be able to test in parallel and see changes beforehand.”
After working with ScriptSender, EVDI opted to expand its investment to all ScriptSender modules. “ScriptSender was a no-brainer cost-wise, as our board put it,” said Sowers. “After reviewing all our other options and reference calls, we found ScriptSender to have the best prospective return on investment.”
The other modules give EVDI clear differentiation in the market. “Staff and patients don’t have to produce and carry CDs. We can send reports to our referrers instantly, and with embedded links to images. Faxed orders can be sent directly to the folder we specify; no more hunting. These are all benefits that go far beyond what we were expecting,” said Shaffer.
“This has been the easiest install I have ever had—seamless.”
— GEORGE SMIT
IT Applications Manage, EVDI
Real Results
EVDI saw measurable results, quickly. In less than a month, the practice had more than 1000 orders processed with the new technology, and volume is still growing steadily. “It’s extremely well-received by our referring doctors and our staff,” said Smit.
“We opened a new center in a different market, and it’s essential to become known quickly as the low-cost, high-quality provider,” said Smit. “The key of course is forming strong relationships with patients and with referring providers, and the ScriptSender platform helps us do that. If we can get a link to a patient to view images, instead of a bulky CD shipment, or if we can make it fast and easy for referrers to order—all of that solidifies our position.”
ScriptSender benefits extend to referring physicians, who no longer have to print and fax, saving them money and time as well. “Bottom line? ScriptSender is a much safer and more secure method of communication between partners,” said Sowers. “Our biggest competitors don’t have anything that can compete with this. As adoption grows across our referral base, the results will be even more significant.
Interested in learning more?
Schedule a demo and take ScriptSender for a spin.