Return to Main Menu

Education system offers IS naming example by Jeff Burdick Emerald Communications and Training Committee Joe double-clicks an icon on his monitor that looks like a palm tree. Up comes a log-in screen for the Oacis CD, or Clinical Display, also known as the Clinical Information System, Clinical Repository, or Clinical Data Base. It may even be called the Electronic Medical Record (EMR), known also as Emerald here at MUSC. Information systems in use at MUSC are known to different users by different names. How does this happen? It may be a matter of tradition, since the name given to an application when it’s first installed tends to stick with people. In some cases it’s the result of a concerted name-branding campaign that determines how people refer to a particular system. Though not unique to Information System (IS), the situation is often compounded by the rapidly changing environment associated with IS technology. When the system many people use for patient registration, medical record functions and patient billing in the hospital was first installed, it was supplied by a company called Professional Healthcare Systems, or PHS for short. T-shirts were issued, articles were published, training and documentation were widely distributed, and everyone referred to this system as the PHS System.  Through the years the original company was purchased by Keane Inc., and many users then began (and continue) to call this system the Keane System. Although there are now almost a dozen separate modules comprising this system, the registration and patient accounting module (the largest or “flagship” module) retained the Patcom name.  In a marketing effort undertaken during 1999 this name was changed to Patcom Plus to reinforce the significant improvements needed to accommodate the year 2000 (Y2K) and a new platform/architecture. This is similar to other consumer advertising and again is not unique to information systems. But how many people are familiar with other names for the modules now supplied by the Keane vendor, like MPI (Master Patient Index), MediData (coding and abstracting), Chart Management (tracking and completion), ARMS (Account Receivables Management System), MNE (medical necessity) and so on?  Generally it’s only those users who are intimately familiar with a particular Keane-supplied module (or sometimes technical support staff) that make the distinction between the Patcom Plus module and one of the other application modules. A similar paradigm may be found in the automobile industry. Though a company like Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota manufactures and supplies vehicles, they are probably best known to drivers by model names like Camaro, Mustang or Camry. Now that we know why there are so many names for the information systems we use, what can we do to reduce confusion among the uninitiated? Again, it may be helpful to consider equivalent solutions in other industries. Having adopted new drug names at an increasingly rapid pace, the pharmaceutical industry is now struggling with renewed standardization efforts brought about by patient safety issues.  Unfortunately, IS standardization has traditionally been a slow process that lags behind changing technology and terminology. Consequently, it’s unlikely that a solution will emerge from the adoption of industrywide generic names for IS applications. Another possible approach is to use the system’s complete name when referring to a particular system at MUSC. This “long name” would identify the current vendor name first, the current module or product name next, then finally the application itself. Thus, to clearly communicate the reference, the preferred name would be the Keane MediData module for coding and abstracting, or the LanVision OCC module for on-line chart completion. Not surprisingly, few users have the knowledge or inclination to be so specific when referring to the icon they access for the needed system. The best solution to name game confusion may be the one that emerged with the purchase and imminent implementation of the new Web-based employee education system.  The system was selected to provide interactive employee training as well as a tracking mechanism for the mandatory education required by various regulatory agencies.  While the name of the system supplied to MUSC is Webinservice, and the vendor is called MCStrategies, it was decided that a single name with a corresponding graphic should be used throughout MUSC to refer to this system.  A contest to name the system produced more than 100 entries, and a prize was awarded to the employee submitting the winning entry. The designated name, CATTS (for Computerized Annual Training and Tracking System), will be used to identify this system in all commun-ications as it is piloted and sub-sequently rolled out.  Regardless of any name changes that may occur with the contracted vendor or the commercial product, a single name should reduce confusion for many years ahead at MUSC. Look for future Catalyst articles to see how the implementation of this system is progressing. Meanwhile, there are no easy answers in the name game. The chart on page 6 was compiled to assist with using “long names” for some of the major systems currently utilized by MUHA employees, but it’s important to note that there are more than 50 IS applications in the Medical Center alone. Given the name changes that occur regularly in all these systems, the challenge to keep up is ongoing.  If you have an idea about how to rise to this challenge, send an e-mail to emerald@musc.edu.   Information System (IS)—long names Medical Micro Systems, Inc. Module (or Product Names): OverSite  What people call it: OverSite  Application/Functional Description: Ambulatory Scheduling--Schedules patients with multiple resources (physicians, rooms, equipment); automatically pre-registers on the Keane System; and generates patient reminders and Chart pull lists. Vendor: Keane, Inc.  Module (or Product Names): Patcom Plus, MediData, Chart Mngmt, ARMS, etc What peoplecall it: Keane or PHS  Application/Functional Description: Patient ADT, medical record, and hospital billing - Patient administration functions: inpatient and outpatient registration, patient accounting/billing, accounts receivable management, contract management, medical records coding/abstracting/chart management. Report writing from historical database. Contains current MPI.  Vendor: Cerner  Module (or Product Names): PathNet  What people call it: The Lab System (LIS)  Application/Functional Description: Lab and Pathology - Supports Anatomic Pathology, routine and special Chemistries, Hematology, Coagulation, Flow Cytometry, Cytogenetics, Microbiology, Diagnostic Immunology, and Transfusion Services (blood bank). Interfaces with lab instruments and reports charges and results to appropriate systems. Vendor: IDX  Module (or Product Names): IDXRad What people call it: The Radiology System (RIS)  Application/Functional Description: Radiology - Patient scheduling, and tracking.  Film tracking.  Dictation and transcription.  Reports charges and results to appropriate systems. Vendor: Cerner  Module (or Product Names): Megasource, MS Meds  What people call it: MS Meds  Application/Functional Description:  Pharmacy - Inpatient medication tracking and dispensing. Unit dose and cart fill, labels.  Reports charges and results (dispensed medications) to appropriate systems. Vendor: McKesson, HBOC  Module (or Product Names): Serving Software SurgiServer  What people call it: SurgiServe  Application/Functional Description: OR - Patient and OR resource scheduling, inventory management. Reports charges and OR schedule to appropriate systems. Vendor: MediServe Module (or Product Names): National, MediServe, MediLinks  What people call it: Therapies system MLS  Application/Functional Description: PT, OT, RT, Speech & Language Pathology and Neurophysiology - Patient and staff scheduling, inventory management, bedside charting of treatment for PT, OT, RT & Speech.  Reports charges to appropriate systems. Vendor: Agfa  Module (or Product Names): Impax  What people call it: PACS  Application/Functional Description: PACS - Radiology image digitization, storage, display, and management.  Vendor: PMSI  Module (or Product Names): Practice Partner  What people call it: Practice Partner  Application/Functional Description: Practice Management/Ambulatory EMR - An electronic medical record (EMR) system, allowing practices to store & retrieve patient charts electronically. Accepts and makes available patient demographic and clinical data (Laboratory, Radiology, Prescriptions, Medication Profile, Progress Notes, Immunizations, EKG, Pathology, specific studies, consults). Generates prescriptions. Vendor: Dinmar  Module (or Product Names): Oacis CDR, Clinical Display (CD), ClinDoc, Orders, etc What people call it: OACIS  Application/Functional Description: Clinical Data Base or Clinical Data Repository - Repository for patient clinical data. Currently includes: all Clinical Laboratory, Microbiology and Anatomic Pathology data, Radiology, inpatient pharmacy, patient encounter, textual reports (EEG, Emergency Care notes, Discharge Summaries, Op notes, Death summaries, Oncology notes, Orthopedic notes, Vascular Lab, Pediatric GI, Surgery, PM&R, Hepatology Notes,etc), with links to LanVision Document Imaging & Agfa PACs images. The information in this system is currently kept indefinitely. Plans for implementing inpatient clinical documentation & computerized physician order entry (CPOE). Vendor: LanVision  Module (or Product Names): OmniVision, ChartVision, OCC, etc  What people call it: Document Imaging  Application/Functional Description:Medical Record Document Imaging/On-line Chart Completion - Electronic repository for scanned & interfaced medical record data. Completes Electronic Medical Record (EMR) by including paper images on-line. Utilizes workflow to automate medical record processing. Can provide alternative to legal medical record. Vendor: McKesson, HBOC  Module (or Product Names): Centramax/ VoiceMax  What people call it: MEDULINE, MUSC Health Connection, Pediatric Triage  Application/Functional Description:Marketing Call Center - Supports Call Center teleservices. Manages incoming phone calls into information centers allowing touch-tone menuing for information dissemination. Telephone triage using approved clinical guidelines.  Vendor: Amcom  Module (or Product Names): Simon  What people call it: Simon Paging  Application/Functional Description:Paging System  - SIMON paging system for MUSC           Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.