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Compuware assisted in this achievement by reducing IT operational costs,streamlining processes, reducing costly vendor support, and effectivelymanaging and staffing major clinical automation projects. CompuwareProfessional Services also modernized DMC's application portfolio, saving theorganization millions of dollars in IT costs while providing innovativetechnology that helps the Center's caregivers provide better quality of careto patients at its nine hospital facilities in Southeastern Michigan.
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DMC was on an IT journey that required the modernization of itsapplication portfolio to align and support rapidly increasing businessdemands. The organization's leadership knew that technology would play acritical role in the healthcare industry and enable the DMC to provide thebest quality of service to its patients. In order to achieve these objectives,DMC partnered with Compuware Professional Services and outsourced the Center'sinformation systems division.
"We had some very aggressive strategic IT initiatives we were pursuing andneeded a technology partner who was flexible and would take the time to reallyunderstand our strategic IT business goals as well as move quickly on them,"said Mike LeRoy, Chief Information Officer of Information Services at DMC."Compuware Professional Services fit the bill. We really liked the fact thatthey viewed our outsourcing partnership as a long-term relationship and notjust as a business transaction. Since the partnership began in 1999, Compuwarehas helped us implement a variety of new technologies that have helped usserve our patients better."
One of the largest projects DMC and Compuware have collaborated ondelivered an Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system for the automation ofpatients' paper medical records. The DMC EMR paperless system records andretrieves medical information, eliminating clinician error and improvingpatient safety and care. Through this achievement, clinicians now havecomplete EMR information at their fingertips, supporting good and timelyclinical decisions.
The DMC EMR environment consists of nursing documentation, physician orderentry and barcode medication administration, allowing clinicians toelectronically document patients' conditions and care at the bedside, usingwireless mobile technology. EMR's barcode medication administration ensuresthat the right medication dose is delivered to the right patient at the righttime. It also indicates any allergic or drug reactions a patient may have thatwould conflict with medication administration. Additionally, timely deliveryof legible medication orders to the pharmacy department assures efficient andaccurate verification of medication, ensuring patient safety. Finally,physicians can check the status of patients from any network-connected PC,anytime and anywhere.
"The EMR allows our physicians and clinicians instant access to patientinformation from any location. It also eliminates the use of paper charts,"said LeRoy. "Now, DMC medical staff can input patient informationelectronically with the click of a button, ultimately providing better patientsafety and care."
With EMR in place, compliance with best practices and healthcareregulations is enhanced with the consistency that automation brings toclinical processes. Managing clinical workflow throughout inpatient operationshas improved the data that can be reported to management.
