Faulkner touts interoperability, population health at annual conference

Epic CEO Judy Faulkner, garbed in a red gown and pointed wizard hat, touted her organization’s interoperability efforts and highlighted the role electronic health records can play in population health at Epic’s annual Users’ Group Meeting Tuesday.

Faulkner said her customers are using Care Everywhere to exchange an average of 2 million patient records a day with Epic and non-Epic systems, up from 1 million a year ago. And she told the thousands of health executives and Epic staff assembled at the organization’s Verona headquarters to “stay tuned” on Share Everywhere.

Epic announced the interoperability tool, which allows patients to share their medical records through an Internet browser, in September. She said it would do more over time.

Faulkner also said the term “electronic health record” is an outdated one, since everything is electronic now. She urged providers to think of it as a “comprehensive health record” that can be used to track how patients eat, sleep and live.

“We have to knock the walls down,” said Faulkner, lamenting that the United States spends more than other countries on healthcare, but less on “social care.”

Other speakers outlined updates coming down the pike for Epic users including increased options for telehealth and advance care planning.

Sumit Rana, senior vice president of research and development, said that Epic’s App Orchard is now live. The online marketplace, first announced years ago, allows providers to browse healthcare software made by non-Epic developers.

Epic officials also highlighted their new customers over the past year, including Kenosha-based United Hospital System, which is expanding its affiliation with Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin.