A new study highlights a program that changed an electronic health record (EHR) system for a primary care practice so it better supported team-based care for older adults. 

The study, published May 2 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, detailed EHR changes at a primary care clinic focused on older adults within an academic health system. The practice consisted of three geriatricians, two nurse practitioners, two medical assistants, two social workers, three behavioral health therapists, two healthcare navigators, two community health workers and one pharmacist. The changes included putting in patient-centered, age-friendly care, prioritizing individuals’ needs, addressing biopsychosocial health needs, and coming up with goal-oriented team care plans. 

Ultimately, the goal was to shift a geriatrician-led primary care clinic to a team-based clinic, allowing more support from providers to benefit patients. The researchers updated the EHR using an Epic Systems platform over the course of two years. The key wasn’t just to put in new components, but to train users in the practice on how to use them.

The team updated roles and expanded workflows so they didn’t just center on the doctor, but the entire team. Initially, the clinic found that adoption of patient portals was low from patients and providers. Researchers trained workers on using MyChart to build user trust, including an age-friendly health assessment tool for assessments before visits. After two years, MyChart activation among patients was 76% at the clinic compared to 55% in the health system and eCheck-in usage was 61% in the primary care practice compared to 20% in the larger health system.

“We maintained a focus on unity, cooperation, and a collective commitment to patient-centered care to avoid cultural drift,” the authors wrote. 

The team said it’s important to review and modify processes, and continuously educate team members so everyone’s on board using the EHR to improve patient care.

This story originally appeared in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News.