RHIO Spotlight: Starbridge begins using RHIO Explore

“It is very empowering to have test results when you need them.”

Over the last several years, healthcare has moved beyond traditional care and clinical work settings. Care-based organizations, home health services, and other community-based services are a daily part of modern healthcare. Organizations like Starbridge, a FLPPS partner, are now accessing our community’s health information exchange and using Rochester RHIO services to help support coordinated patient care.

Rebecca Lepel works in Starbridge’s community residences in Rochester, New York.

“As a registered nurse, I oversee the medical care for the people I work with,” said Lepel. “It is my job to make sure there are no holes or gaps in their healthcare, and their doctor’s orders and recommendations are being followed.”

Starbridge partners with people who have disabilities and their loved ones to help them realize fulfilling possibilities in education, employment, health and community living.  In May, Rebecca began using Rochester RHIO’s Explore tool as a part of her daily routine. Explore is a secure, query portal, which includes clinical data for over 1.4 million patients. 

“Knowing the whole picture is very useful when communicating with other providers and with helping the people that we care for,” she said.

Using the Explore query tool has helped Rebecca obtain more background information on exacerbations of preexisting conditions. It has also helped her get lab and test results quicker.

“Once we have the results, we review them and send any abnormalities off to the provider to review and return with any changes to the treatment plan. Previously, this process would take 7 - 10 days to complete.”

After she started using Explore, Rebecca said she had a patient go in for labs on a Monday, and she got the results the very next day. She then sent them to the provider.

 “I had a decision on changes to the treatment plan by 5 p.m. that day [Tuesday]. In this case, there were no changes needed; it was just validation that the current treatment plan was effective.

However, in other cases, this time savings of 5 - 8 days could be pivotal in the change of a clinical outcome.”

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