April 9, 2008 – CliniComp International, the clinical documentation tool used for more than 45 percent of all Department of Defense inpatient beds, said the revenue at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) rose 47 percent after deployment of CliniComp’s Essentris clinical documentation system enterprise-wide.
TAMC said it recouped its initial IT investment in 18 months. Currently, TAMC Essentris users include 1,300 clinicians as well as administrative staff across all 17 TAMC sites. TAMC, the headquarters of the Pacific Regional Medical Command and the largest military hospital in the Asian and Pacific rim region, initially implemented Essentris at four sites between 1997 and 2003. System-wide installation was completed in October 2007.
“Patient care is our top priority and we knew we wanted to implement an EMR solution that would standardize charting, provide instant access to patient information and maximize productivity,” said Debbie Arai, RN, TAMC’s chief of inpatient clinical services. “Previously, our nursing staff worked in three different modalities - paper, an older EMR system and printouts - creating inefficient workflow processes and a lack of flexibility. Now, all nurses chart in the same system, using standardized forms, allowing them to transition easily between departments. The quick ROI was a nice bonus.”
TAMC raised revenue by 47 percent by creating key coding phrases for every service line and embedding them into Essentris.
“When clinicians enter these phrases, this allows coders to match the appropriate reimbursement to the level of service patients receive, minimizing lost charges and undercoding of claims that resulted from the previously fragmented documentation environment,” Arai said.
For more information: www.tamc.amedd.army.mil/, www.clinicomp.com
June 28, 2024 
