Successful Implementation Is an Ongoing Partnership

Getting Started With Implementing Lupus Advisor to Your Health System

Lupus Advisor is provided to health systems at no cost to help improve outcomes for patients with lupus and coordinate more efficient use of health services. Implementation does require a commitment from the health system and the technical support of the health system’s IT/EHR team.

 It is important to communicate the purpose and benefits of using Lupus Advisor when requesting that your health system begin implementation. Organizations that invest appropriate time and resources into configuration decisions are more empowered to maximize the benefits that the Lupus Advisor application provides.

Suggested Activities Before Project Submission: 

  • Share the purpose and key benefits of Lupus Advisor

  • Ensure project leadership and active engagement from stakeholders

  • Communicate project parameters to appropriate team members

  • Identify health system staff for implementation roles listed below

Support Throughout the Implementation Process

The Lupus Advisor team at Point-of-Care Partners (POCP) will provide guidance, project management, technical support, and training throughout all steps of the implementation process. During the planning phase, we will assign a dedicated account manager, implementation specialist, and interface engineer for your health system’s implementation.

Lupus Advisor Implementation Team

Account Manager

  • Healthcare IT project management expert that will serve as your primary point of contact during the implementation

  • Responsibilities: Lead overall project management, scoping, status/issue resolution, and progress tracking

 Implementation Specialist

  • Lupus Advisor product expert and lupus practice operations consultant

  • Responsibilities: Advise on workflow design and best practices to guide Lupus Advisor configuration and build. Lead project team, super user and end user training to ensure successful go-live

 Interface Engineer

  • Healthcare IT data integration expert

  • Determine specifications for, configure, and test interfaces alongside POCP representatives

  • Plan, conduct, and mitigate risks related to data retrieval using APIs from client Epic systems

Implementation Roles Within Your Organization

Successful implementation of Lupus Advisor requires an initial investment of time and resources from the health system. The roles and responsibilities listed below may be determined based on organizational details provided during the planning process. Depending on organizational structure, one person may play multiple roles during the implementation project.

Health System Implementation Team

Project Manager

  • Serve as POCP’s primary point of contact during the implementation

  • Facilitate organization and communication across project team members, end users, key practice stakeholders, subject matter experts, etc.

  • Work with the POCP Implementation Project Manager to ensure tasks are assigned and completed on time

  • Help identify and mitigate risks to go-live plan

Physician Champion

  • Drive input, buy-in, and participation from other providers and key organization stakeholders

  • Review and/or ensure other providers review clinical content, including but not limited to clinical criteria, recommendations, actions, order sets, and visit note components

  • Provide physician’s perspective on workflow design, policy, decisions, and other project initiatives

IT Lead

  • Coordinate with POCP technical team to complete interface setup

  • Lead technical setup to ensure practice meets Lupus Advisor system hardware and software requirements

Nurse Champion

  • Provide nursing perspective on workflow design, policy decisions, and broader project initiatives

Operational and Clinical Content Subject Matter Experts

  • Contribute operational, clinical, and billing content to align with Lupus Advisor, including but not limited to locations, users, regimens, order sets, formulary, visit and text note templates

  • Provide operational, clinical, and billing insights and guidance throughout the implementation

  • Provide workflow guidance and support for each functional area including, but not limited to nursing, scheduling, pharmacy, lab, billing, IT, interfaces

 Four Phases of Lupus Advisor Implementation

The amount of time required from initial planning to live use of the application varies based on the health system’s resources and project priorities. The goals and responsibilities of each phase are summarized below. The Lupus Advisor Implementation Guide provides a complete outline of each phase with specific tasks assigned for each role.

 

Phase 1: Planning

  • Download the Implementation Guide from POCP

  • Engage your Epic IT Support Team to request Epic’s Implementation Guide

  • Determine a Go Live date

  • Validate codes and specifications

 
Medical female inputing patient stats

Phase 2: Configuration and Testing

  • Download Epic Request Document

  • Download Epic Vendor Implementation Checklist

  • Select Lupus Advisor from Epic App Orchard

  • Sign appropriate agreements

  • Test scripts and input data

 
Doctor reviewing patient records on computer

Phase 3: Go Live

  • Pre-launch education and training

  • Pre-launch promotion within health system

  • Real time support, triage, and issues resolution

  • Promote and monitor use of Lupus Advisor

 
Female doctor evaluating information on ipad

Phase 4: Evaluation

  • This optional step measures the impact that Lupus Advisor has on patient activities like reduction in steroid use, improved documentation, patient education use, etc.

  • Ongoing evaluation will help identify issues and determine if order sets, patient education, and other features are being utilized. Key steps include:

  • Analyze usage data

  • Itemize issues to resolve

  • Expand access to additional users

Schedule a demo of Lupus Advisor for your team