McKesson

McKesson’s Horizon Homecare™ is a a suite of software applications designed for use in the home healthcare field. In home healthcare, patient information is spread out over a diverse geographic region, and keeping that information in one system and up-to-date requires an integrated system that combines clinical, financial, and administrative data—and all within an automated process.

Horizon Homecare was rated Best in the KLAS Homecare category for three consecutive years, and it continues to provide homecare management options on the cutting edge of technology. With features like the ability to sort data, provide a library of information at the touch of a button, and create an online communication platform, this system does require both a training component and a maintenance component, which is where the right HIT professional comes into play. Experience within the McKesson system and with securing patient data across systems is key.

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The Expert Orders™ computerized physician order entry (CPOE) module is offered through McKesson’s line of HIT solutions. The primary feature, which is automating the order entry and delivery processes for medication prescriptions, is complimented by a workflow that increases communication across the healthcare team. The result is a reduced number of potentially damaging errors as well as an enhanced patient-clinician experience.

Expert Orders is unique among CPOE options in that HIT professionals can incorporate institution-wide practices within the software—as well as more standard HIPAA guidelines. When built and maintained properly, the result is a more efficient setting for medication distribution, and all within the individual parameters of that particular healthcare institution.

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McKesson’s Expert Documentation™ option allows healthcare workers to review an entire patient’s state of care and clinical assessments from one location. Information like patient records, treatment plans, physician notations, and automated alerts are all accessible from the point of care, which means that nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and therapists can tailor their plans accordingly.

Advanced features like wireless medication administration and data reporting directly from the medical equipment move the Expert Documentation module to the next level in health information technology. HIT professionals working within McKesson’s standard medication administration solution may have the option of integrating Expert Documentation to get the most out of both platforms.

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In a busy emergency room or urgent care setting, many organizations rely on McKesson’s Horizon Emergency Care™ emergency department information system (EDIS). Built to improve communication, optimize workflows, and fully integrate into the entire line of Horizon Clinicals options, Emergency Care is just one more step in taking a hospital or care provider to the next level in healthcare information technology and electronic medical records.

The Emergency Care EDIS offers features like patient tracking, documentation and coding, automated alerts, CPOE, discharge assistance, and reporting tools. All information is updated and tracked in real time, which makes the module easy to use in a setting where speed and timing matter. And because it taps into the entire EMR and patient accounts, HIT consultants with Horizon experience can expect to build and integrate Emergency Care into the entire suite of McKesson clinical solutions.

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In the suite of Horizon Clinical solutions, the Medical Imaging system is one of the more popular. Used primarily as a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), Medical Imaging is built to acquire, distribute, and archive medical images and reports in a variety of healthcare settings. It includes such solutions as medical imaging workflow, mammography, optical imaging, and departmental collaboration. Additional benefits in the field of radiology include advanced image analysis options and integration into the rest of the patient medical records and information accounts.

The Medical Imaging PACS isn’t designed to work alone. For maximum functionality, HIT staff can expect to also work with in the Radiology Manager (RIS) system. Together, these create an environment in which generating images and sharing the data is both seamless and efficient, and the architecture is scalable to accommodate future growth.

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With McKesson’s Horizon Cardiology, hospitals have a new kind of cardiovascular imaging and information system (CVIS) at their fingertips. Offering specialized support (including peripheral catheterization, hemodynamics monitoring, echocardiography, vascular ultrasound, nuclear cardiology, and ECG management) as well as cost-effective workflow management options, Horizon Cardiology is one of the only systems to combine standard EHR patient records and more specialized cardiology needs.

HIT professionals working within the Horizon RIS and PACS system will find that Cardiology is one of the many additions that users opt to include in their entire HIT infrastructure. Build experience within the additional departments of billing, inventory, medication orders, and patient information will help boost the ability of Cardiology to fit seamlessly into the organization as a whole.

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Within the McKesson PACS administration system, the Radiology Manager workflow management software plays a large role. This radiology information system (RIS) builds on the Medical Imagining module to provide a platform for the flow of patient information. In addition to updating patient accounts, users can track and manage appointments and exams, as well as facilitate the billing process.

Designed for use by radiologists, technologists, administrators, and management-level healthcare professionals, Radiology Manager is just one step in the diagnostic imaging process. For maximum results and the best overarching infrastructure, it’s important for IT support staff to have HIT build experience within the entire suite of McKesson PACS software modules.

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In an effort to facilitate the flow of patient information and support the health information management system of its clients, McKesson has developed Patient Folder. This electronic document management solution (EDMS), captures images and patient files to be indexed, stored, analyzed, reviewed, coded, and retrieved as needed within the healthcare system. As a completely virtual and computerized program, there is enough size, scope, and usability within Patient Folder to make it a great addition to any EMR system.

One of the best features of Patient Folder is that it is accessible to physicians away from the hospital setting. Whether they need to access files from home or at the office, this EDMS can be used securely in other connected locations. Of course, this comes with additional security and build requirements, so HIT professionals working within the system can expect to comply with HIPAA and other regulatory organizations.

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For document imaging that goes beyond radiology, hospitals and healthcare organizations can look to McKesson’s Horizon Business Folder. This system automates business office processing related to patient financial services, moving from admissions through billing and insurance claims. By focusing on both automated documentation and paper billing, it is possible to handle 100 percent of patient billing claims this way.

Business Folder taps into McKesson’s total EHR/EMR process for managing the flow of information, and is often integrated into a single framework. HIT experience with claim submissions, fiscal security processes, and business productivity will help boost professionals hoping to work within this system. Additional modules for administration and business use can also be incorporated at build time.

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For advanced CPOE needs, McKesson offers the Horizon Meds Manager. This award-winning pharmacy information system is part of the overarching Medication Safety Advantage and CPOE solution offered through the McKesson brand. It offers a real-time electronic chart that streamlines workflows needed to provide medication, IVs, IVPB, TPNs, and even medication information to patients.

Meds Manager is not designed to work alone. In addition to working with the other McKesson CPOE products, it taps into First DataBank’s drug interaction knowledge base and works across EMR/EHR and pharmacy systems. Because integration within and between all these systems is required, the HIT professional who implements Meds Manager must have a strong base of experience in the entire McKesson line.

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The Admin-Rx™ point-of-care application offered through McKesson’s Horizon line helps users to work within a safe and secure CPOE system. A bar-code scanning system ensures that the right medication is dispensed at the right time, while a computerized charting system allows users to view and update the patient’s profile both at the time of administering the medication and as part of a larger patient accounting system.

Designed to reduce errors, paperwork, and overhead simultaneously, Admin-Rx is one of the safest and most secure technology platforms for medication dispensation. It can be used alone or integrated into a larger McKesson CPOE system. HIT professionals should expect to encounter several different types of build scenarios when called upon to install, upgrade, or maintain a system with the Admin-Rx line.

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The Surgical Manager part of the Horizon suite of services provides an integrated surgery information system. Offering everything from patient management and scheduling (through all the operative stages) to operating room and anesthesia management, Surgical Manager is a streamlined way to manage both workflows and supplies.

Top HIT consultants with Surgical Manager experience know that this system is one part in an overarching series of technology solutions for performance management in a hospital setting. When users bridge operating room accounts via the Surgical Manager with other services, medication orders, supply chains, and administrative systems, the result is a way to track patient outcomes and data from a single source. That’s why the Surgical Manger module is commonly integrated with Perioperative Charting, Anesthesia Documentation, Patient Tracking, Physiological Recording, and Inventory Control.

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The McKesson Laboratory suite of services walks the line between business solutions and HIT solutions. In addition to tracking and managing lab-specific data (including rapid diagnostics, urinalysis, glucose, hemoglobin, total cholesterol and HDL, hemoglobin A1C, and coagulation and FOBT), Laboratory Solutions can be used to automate order entry, point-of-care specimen management, adaptable workflows, analytic operations, information distribution, and even billing.

By placing all these options under one heading of laboratory information services (LIS), users can access a single framework for all their lab needs. Whether an organization wants to share results faster or streamline the way patients are seen, the results are easy when all these services are built and integrated together. HIT work within McKesson Laboratory often includes a number of software options—all of which are merged with the larger EMR/EHR system.

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The Performance Manager suite of services offered through McKesson’s HIT line allows organizations to integrate clinical data with administrative and financial data. From generating reports and tracking progress to optimizing resources, Performance Manager is the kind of module that takes information and turns it into a usable, forward-looking tool. It is ideal for large hospital organizations hoping to get visible, data-driven results from their HIT tools.

Some of the more popular options available through Performance Manager include: Clinical Performance Analytics, ED Benchmarks Collaborative, Financial Performance Analytics, Horizon Enterprise Visibility, OR Benchmarks Collaborative, and Radiology Benchmarks Collaborative. As the names suggest, each of these modules merges with a specific department or McKesson service to take information to the next level.

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The Horizon Business Insight option offered through McKesson allows managers and administrators to make the most out of their technology tools. Tapping into web-based technology that provides secure access to relevant data and information, this tool is able to determine trends, quality, cost, and organizational performance. Perhaps even more importantly, however, Business Insight makes this information available to multiple users through its web-based platform, allowing everyone to work together to communicate and generate real-time outcomes.

Within the Business Insight tool, users will find data scorecards, multidimensional reports compatible with Windows-based software (as well as PDF, ASCII, and HTML files), and email alerts for spotting trends. All of these come together to create a unique and informative way to make decisions related to business and patient care. HIT consultants working within the Business Insight framework can help generate reports and build a system that makes the most out of the available data.

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The Human Resource Management™ system is part of the McKesson Horizon suite of HIT tools. It is also fully integrated into the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution, offering a single directory for all HR and payroll data. When used properly, administrative and HR staff can manage the entire workforce cycle from recruitment through retirement, and all while reducing overhead and streamlining their daily processes. In this way, financial data and staffing resources go hand-in-hand and are related directly to the continuum of care.

In addition to the other Pathways management systems, Human Resource Management was rated the Best in KLAS in 2008 through 2010. Theses systems all work best in tandem with one another, so HIT build experience across the McKesson administrative line is ideal when taking on the task of integrating these systems.

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For web-based EHR solutions designed for a small office setting, many physicians turn to Horizon Ambulatory Care™. This module automates the entire process of clinical services and records, including those related to prescriptions, order entries, reports, and clinical workflows. From improving prescription safety to streamlining the billing process, many different types of results are available through this single system.

In most cases, HIT workers will merge Ambulatory Care with other components in the Horizon Practice Solutions lineup of services (including Practice Plus and Practice Management Systems). When used correctly, this will allow physicians and their staff to rely on an automated system for all patient information and diagnostic needs. Advanced build opportunities also include integrating the system with the Horizon Clinicals module, which will merge the information and process within a larger hospital setting.

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The Horizon Practice Plus system, which is offered as part of McKesson’s line of integrated practice management suite of services, is a great way for physician practices to handle their complete revenue cycle. Practice Plus manages patient information and financial data from appointments through billing, and offers a number of support functions that regularly lands the system in the Best in KLAS awards for Practice Management.

The features within Practice Plus include a master person index (MPI) for maintaining patient information, scheduling platforms, account management options, and end-to-end revenue cycle processes. Perhaps most importantly, it boasts a flexible and open architecture, allowing HIT professionals to integrate Practice Plus with other physician-focused systems like Ambulatory Care and hospital-based systems that also rely on the McKesson brand.

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Enterprise Visibility is a patient visibility and tracking software that helps control and manage the “big picture” of patient care within a hospital setting. Tapping into visual controls and electronic whiteboard features, no other software on the market creates such an interactive and easy-to-manage solution for flow issues that impact patient care and outcomes.

In order to run smoothly, Enterprise Visibility must be successfully merged with existing HIT systems related to clinical care, laboratory results, and transport systems. When used properly, the results are a more streamlined nurse-patient interaction, reduced discharge delays, better capacity management, and a more efficient way to handle communication between departments and staff.

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When patients are able to access their health records and take a proactive approach to managing their own care, the results are better for everyone involved. Patients report a higher satisfaction level and improved health outcomes, while healthcare providers enjoy more efficient processes. Horizon Patient Portal is McKesson’s solution for this kind of web-based, patient-directed information system, and it is rapidly becoming a key selling point in a competitive healthcare environment.

When patients are able to access their information, make appointments, look up educational materials, and ask questions all from a web-based system, security is the most important underlying feature. That’s why HIT jobs with McKesson Patient Portal rely on both a good understanding of the McKesson Horizon line as well as information security that meets all HIPAA and organizational regulations.

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The Horizon Physician Portal system offers physicians the chance to access secure web-based platforms for all their inpatient, outpatient, and workflow needs. Whether they use the Physician Portal to communicate with other healthcare team members or to access information from an offsite location, both physicians and hospitals get the chance to streamline their data processes while leveraging their existing technology tools.

One of the unique features of Physician Portal is that there are no restrictions for working with non-McKesson source system applications. The right HIT professional will be able to integrate the various systems so that all data is run through the Portal and provides a single access point for everything a physician needs to make timely, care-related decisions.

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McKesson Pathways is a comprehensive suite of technology services that can be used to oversee the entire administrative and financial process in a healthcare setting. It is comprised of several different modules, most of which are designed to work side-by-side with one another (as well as with the entire McKesson EHR/EMR system). These modules include: Compliance Advisor, Contract Management, Financial Management, Healthcare Scheduling, and Materials Management.

McKesson Pathways HIT jobs take theses software options and use them to either upgrade/migrate or custom-build an HIT solution that streamlines the way a hospital or other large- to medium-sized healthcare organization is run. From project management that oversees all of these installations to more specialized training components to ensure that all staff members are on board, the right professional can make Pathways start yielding results right away.

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For access management and streamlined surgery schedules, the McKesson Pathways line offers the Healthcare Scheduling system. It is designed to support both clinical care processes and revenue management by enhancing the efficiency of surgery room and materials usage. From scheduling and resource allocation through the insurance cycle, users can ensure that there are no overlaps, conflicts, or missed opportunities within the surgical schedule.

As part of the entire McKesson Pathways suite, Healthcare Scheduling is one of the more specialized options. Not every provider will have a use for this software, as it is designed for surgical rooms only. However, when used, it is almost always integrated with other services. HIT professionals working within the Pathways system should expect overlap and integration to be a big component of the job.

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The Pathways Financial Management system is the finance and accounts hub for the entire Pathways technology solution. It provides features for project management, invoice imaging, accounts payable, automated payments, general accounting, and fixed assets—and all within the existing integrated delivery network the organization relies on to get the job done. There are also a series of analytics tools that users can rely on for making decisions and generating financial forecasts.

Although Financial Management can be used alone, it is almost always implemented as part of the entire Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution offered in the McKesson Pathways line. In particular, it works well with Materials Management (together, the two were named the best Financial/ERP system by KLAS for eight consecutive years), and the two are often built or upgraded under a single HIT project.

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The Pathways Contract Management solution allows users to automate the way they approach the contracting and reimbursement process. In a large or complex healthcare setting, oversights lead to millions of dollars in lost revenue every year. Contract Management reduces these errors and inefficiencies by providing a centralized claim denial management system and by finding and highlighting reimbursement discrepancies both in the present data framework and within past records.

Contract Management also boasts the capability to interface with almost any type of patient accounting system. Although HIT build experience with Pathways and McKesson are ideal, there may also be a need to bridge this module with additional HIT brands. Contract Management is also commonly integrated into the other Pathways suite of services.

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The Materials Management solution is part of the McKesson Pathways line of services. Offering supply chain management through a single, streamlined platform, Materials Management is designed to increase productivity and reduce costs. It does this through its individual components of requisitioning, purchasing and receiving, invoice matching, supply tracking, contract and rebate management, inventory management, and vendor resources.

Although it can be used as a standalone feature, Materials Management is often integrated into McKesson’s entire Enterprise Resource Management (ERP) Pathways package. When HIT professionals build them all together, the Pathways modules share relevant data in real time, thereby reducing the need to enter information more than once or to review financial records to enforce compliance.

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Paragon is McKesson’s premier certified electronic health record (EHR) and hospital information system (HIS). This system is continually ranked by KLAS as the #1 Community HIS, offering a complete lineup of HIS solutions, including hospital financials, ancillary solutions, and physician solutions. It relies on Microsoft technology and frameworks for easy use, and integrates across all McKesson applications.

Although Paragon can be used alone, it is designed to work best with both Horizon Medical Imaging and Horizon Patient Folder. HIT jobs with Paragon certification requirements often look for additional build experience within the complete McKesson and Horizon lines. Experience working with the single database design is also key, since this is one of the only HIS solutions designed to run on less hardware and fewer servers.

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The McKesson line of nursing technology solutions are designed to aid nursing professionals on the front line of care. Documentation support improves the dissemination of patient information, and various CPOE-based systems reduce the chances of medication errors. Additional features can help nursing managers and administrators to handle a large and diverse staff, from HR needs to staffing issues.

McKesson nursing isn’t a single software system, and it can be as large and complex (or as streamlined) as it needs to be to meet independent hospital and medical office goals. HIT building, management, and integration for nursing technology tools will rely on a broad understanding of all the McKesson suite of services.

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Physician-focused HIT solutions offered through the McKesson line allow doctors to make more efficient care decisions. Physician Web Station, one of the most flexible hospital information systems on the market, is the best example of this. The module provides remote access to patient information systems as well as a secure CPOE that can be accessed via the web at home or in the office.

One of the unique features of the Physician Web Station is that it goes beyond patient files to include data used for the clinical, imaging, financial, and scheduling departments. In most cases, this system is integrated into the full McKesson HIS, but with additional security features and web accessibility options.

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Patient Compass is part of a line of patient services and billing software. The ability to access their information, make changes to their accounts, and pay their bills via online services makes many patients feel more in charge of their healthcare experience and more likely to make regular payments—and often to the tune of millions of dollars in previously lost revenue. That’s why Patient Compass, a cooperative service between McKesson and RelayHealth, is becoming a popular option in the modern hospital and healthcare setting.

Online access to Patient Compass is offered 24-7, with a platform that is easy to access from home or on the go. Although it is offered as part of the McKesson line of solutions, it is also part of RelayHealth, a subsidiary of McKesson and a provider of clinical communications and connectivity solutions. HIT professionals working within the McKesson System should have a working knowledge of RelayHealth and how the two branches interact to generate a more positive healthcare experience for everyone involved.

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RelayHealth is a branch of the McKesson Corporation dedicated to the development of software and communications solutions that connect patients, physicians, pharmacists, and insurance and billing services with the data they need to make informed decisions. It was developed in 2006 as a way to find new efficiencies that tap into the online platform for sharing information and providing a secure connection for getting work done.

One of the key focuses in developing RelayHealth was to support interoperability between various systems, which is why HIT professionals will find that it is integrated into both the McKesson line of services as well as those provided by outside HIT companies. As a healthcare management system, RelayHealth has a number of great options, and the right consultant or project manager can make it all work toward a better healthcare future.

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