ScriptRx Creates Touchscreen-Based Patient Discharge System Even Doctors Love

Ambulatory care environments such as emergency rooms, urgent care centers, and retail health clinics can be chaotic. Practitioners need to think on their feet, address a wide range of health conditions, and discharge patients quickly and efficiently.

Introducing a new electronic patient discharge system into these environments is a challenge. Doctors can be resistant to electronic records systems, which may not follow their typical work flow and diagnostic procedures. Training on the system takes time away from patients and if the system is down, patient care and satisfaction is impacted. For doctors to adopt these systems, they need to see a clear advantage over the pen-and-paper format they're used to.

ScriptRx meets the “faster than paper” challenge

ScriptRx created a patient discharge system to meet that challenge. The system consists of the ScriptRx program, which is loaded onto a new or existing PC in the clinic, along with a Planar PT resistive touchscreen monitor. Once a physician or nurse practitioner has seen a patient, they use the touchscreen interface to quickly and easily access online medical reference and drug interaction information, create detailed discharge instructions, and write prescriptions and follow-up orders.

“Ease of use in these environments is key,” said Dr. Timothy Coffield, president and CEO of ScriptRx. The system includes a biometric fingerprint scanner to give each practitioner quick, secure access. The full-size touchscreen interface then mirrors the practitioner's standard workflow and is so intuitive it requires minimal training. At each screen, the practitioner makes a choice among large, easy-to-read selections. The next screen logically follows that choice with appropriate new selections. The ScriptRx system, with large graphics on a touchscreen, can actually help the practitioner's train of thought with directed choices that were developed by qualified medical personnel and reviewed by hospital risk managers. “Every time we talked to doctors, they told us an electronic discharge system must be faster than paper,” continued Dr. Coffield. “Our research shows that we can actually save six minutes per patient encounter when compared to pen-and-paper discharge systems. That can save as much as three hours in a physician's day.”

With the ScriptRx system, it takes just a few touches on the screen for a practitioner to choose the appropriate diagnosis, write and print prescriptions with electronic signature, and print follow-up discharge instructions from a complete set of over 800 continuously updated and customizable discharge instructions and standing orders, available in multiple languages.

The system also “learns” each doctor's specializations and most commonly prescribed drugs for specific diagnoses. Using the touchscreen, the doctor can quickly choose from his or her favorite options for prescriptions and follow-up instructions for commonly seen conditions. Even better than paper, where handwritten instructions or prescriptions can be misunderstood, the directed choices offered by the touchscreen system help reduce errors better than the potentially confusing menu options offered by other, non-touchscreen-based electronic systems.

Arcadia Urgent Care depends on ScriptRx's fast learning curve and dependability

Dr. Brad Butler initially used the ScriptRx system in his hospital emergency department. He was so pleased with it that he installed it in the Arcadia Urgent Care center he and his partners opened two-and-a-half years ago in Phoenix, AZ. According to Dr. Butler, urgent care is a linear process of patient history, diagnosis, and discharge. The touchscreen interface of the ScriptRx system intuitively mirrors the workflow and thought process of the urgent care practitioner. Dr. Butler counts on its ease-of-use, convenience, error reduction, and reliability.

The Arcadia staff is supplemented by moonlighting physicians who turn over every year and who often work only a shift or two every month. “It takes me five to 10 minutes to train moonlighters on ScriptRx when they're brand new, and they're up to speed within one shift,” said Dr. Butler. “With most systems, it can take months before doctors are comfortable with them, and that's using the system full time.” Dr. Coffield of ScriptRx adds, “Doctors use ScriptRx as easily as consumers use an ATM, with little or no training. They just follow the instructions on the touchscreen.”

Full turn-key solution requires reliable hardware

Urgent care centers and hospital emergency departments can't afford a non-working electronic discharge system. The ScriptRx system combines software, hardware, round-the-clock technical support, and an unparalleled customer service and hardware replacement program. Because ScriptRx owns the hardware and must replace any down hardware within 24 hours, it must be the most reliable available.

Dr. Butler has never had a problem with the Planar touchscreen. “I'm shocked, actually, that with all the use this system gets that we never once had a problem in the ER, and have had no problems at the urgent care center in more than two years,” he said. “The touchscreen is amazingly durable.”

Touchscreen Advantages

Touchscreens are ideal for healthcare applications that aid in the transition from paper to electronic records. The same advantages also apply to gaming, retail, factory floor, self-serve and information kiosks, and many other applications.

Take advantage of these touchscreen benefits for any application:

• Simplify and automate processes with clear, guided choices
• Engage users with highly interactive screen and bright, appealing graphics
• Reduce errors with specific, directed options on-screen
• Save time and money with simple, on-screen menus that can reduce training time and improve productivity
• Improve satisfaction and eliminate downtime with Planar's industry-leading warranty that includes 3-year, 48-hour advance replacement