CoreQUEST®

CoreQUEST® Services maximize project value by focusing project planning, implementations, and optimizations around the "5 Coordinates".

With the introduction of the ARRA HITech Act and the emphasis on reporting CMS clinical quality measures electronically, HIT efforts have shifted from simply automating processes and implementing inpatient and ambulatory EHR’s, to deploying EHR’s in a way that enables organizations to analyze costs, revenue, and report quality.  Many organizations that have already implemented an EHR are now revisiting and retooling their implementations for this crucial information.

Encore was founded with the vision to go beyond standard “best practice” process redesign and into information transformation.  We have developed our CoreQUEST® approach and CoreGPS® knowledgebase to help providers plan, implement, optimize, and analyze systems and data for your organization’s needs and your goals for information transformation, such as:

  • Consolidating duplicate silos of information
  • Qualifying for incentive money
  • Ensuring better reimbursements
  • Establishing the world of quality 

CoreQUEST® was designed around the “5 Coordinates” required to ensure that the system design, build and implementation first establishes a foundation to participate in the federal incentive program, and ultimately provides the information infrastructure needed to respond for the future.  The Five Coordinates are: 

  • Data – Capture the required data in the prescribed standard and format that supports both ease of data entry as well as reporting and analysis
  • Content  - Build with evidence-based content that supports optimal physician order entry, clinical decision support and multi-disciplinary care planning
  • Processes – Design processes to support capturing and using the data in workflows optimized by the technology
  • Decision-making – Provide governance models that focus on data decisions as well as process and technology decisions
  • Technology – Select, integrate and implement certified EHR technology; plan and design for future data analytics capabilities

 

Encore's CoreGPS® tools include:

  • An assessment tool that compares certified EHR system functionality, build, content, process and workflows against each defined meaningful-use requirement. This tool includes assessment templates for each measure and is used to develop meaningful use-readiness and risk-mitigation plans for either new implementations or the optimization of an existing implementation.
  • A data-element tracking tool that maps each clinical quality measure to the Health Information Technology Standards Panel (HITSP) electronic specifications as defined in the final rules to support the future report design and submissions.  This tool is used to trace the specific data elements to the precise clinical quality and core/menu set measures to track the system design and build through final report submission.
  • A library of workflow, process, and data-related decision questions to consider in designing and building the EHR. Decisions are captured in the assessment tool and are used by design teams.

 

CoreQUEST® helps hospitals:

  • Plan Strategically: CoreQUEST® brings industry experts and knowledge to align a hospital’s IT organization and services to proactively respond to dynamic industry changes.
  • Select the Best EHR Vendor: CoreQUEST® provides a set of vendor questions and clinical scenarios based on final rules for meaningful use and certified EHR technology to help health systems choose a vendor with both functionality and commitment to attain certification and support clients’ achievement of meaningful use.
  • Design Appropriately: CoreQUEST® provides a review of EHR system functionality, content, work-flow, and processes to assess gaps in a hospital’s ability to achieve meaningful use and provide tactical readiness and risk mitigation plans.
  • Support New Implementations through Completion: CoreQUEST® offers expert clinical guidance in evaluating implementation workflow and influencing design decisions that promote the capture of essential data. 
  • Optimize Existing EHR systems: CoreQUEST® applies high-level gap analysis and meaningful use tracking tools to assess the status of current build projects and identify processes, content and data needed to accomplish meaningful use. 

CoreQUEST® In Real Life

Viewing the build through the perspective of core measures and meaningful use changes your implementation focus.  For example, a current Encore client is going live with CPOE this year. Our knowledge of the quality measure to report on, “VTE prophylaxis addressed within 24 hours of admission” prompted us to suggest to this client a build adjustment.