From Chaos to Automated Clarity
About NL Allergy & Immunology
For patients facing life-threatening allergies or immune system disorders, NL Allergy & Immunology in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, provides expert pediatric and adult care. It is the only clinic in the city with board-certified immunologists, dedicated to assessing and treating conditions like food allergies, asthma, and immunodeficiencies.
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- EHR: Telus MedAccess
- 3 board-certified clinicians
- Using ACM Alerts
The Challenge: Communication Overload and Inadequate Systems
NL Allergy & Immunology faced significant challenges managing patient communication and administrative tasks. Office Manager Jerry Arsenault noted that high volumes of patient calls became unmanageable, reaching up to 70 calls a day, as patients frequently called with questions. Their initial EMR platform, chosen in 2014, was inadequate for their administrative needs. Jerry specifically cited:
- Unmet administrative needs
- Poor document control
- No integration of patient communication
Furthermore, with many referrals, individual patient calls were impossible. Jerry Arsenault highlighted this, stating, “One of the biggest issues we have is a large volume of referrals. It’s just not possible to call everyone individually”. Their previous “hodgepodge process” for notifications took about five minutes per patient.
The Solution: Seamless Platform Integration
To overcome these challenges, the clinic sought an enhanced solution. They transitioned to MedAccess, an EMR platform that offers improved care delivery between health professionals by providing real-time access to patient health records.
Critically, MedAccess also offered a seamless and highly configurable integration with Cliniconex’s Automated Care Platform (ACM Alerts). This integration was designed to make patient engagement “a breeze”, automating communication and collaboration.
The Impact of Automation:
A Marked Improvement
The combined implementation of MedAccess and ACM Alerts significantly transformed the clinic’s operational efficiency, establishing a “well-oiled machine” in the front office:
- Dramatic Call Reduction: Daily incoming patient calls for questions dropped sharply from an average of 70 to just 20.
- Automated Notification Delivery: Patient notification processes became entirely automated and seamless. Jerry Arsenault confirmed, “Med Access and ACM Alerts work together seamlessly. Now, it’s all done automatically”.
- Improved Patient Information Dissemination: The capability to send text messages, including clinic address, phone number, and pre-appointment instructions, has proven extremely valuable.
- Substantial Workload Reduction: The integrated solution “has collectively reduced the clinic’s workload by 25%”.
- Enhanced Communication Oversight: Daily reports provide essential data on notification status, delivery confirmation, and any contact failures.
