Epic Optimization Is Evolving: More on Client Led Innovation

Hospitals continue to prove that some of the most meaningful innovations don’t come from vendors; they come from the people closest to patient care. I came across a great article and example this morning that talked about University Hospitals’ recent work inside Epic to proactively identify patients at risk for axial spondyloarthritis, an underdiagnosed inflammatory condition. Their approach, highlighted in the Becker’s article, shows how clinical teams and IT can use Epic not just as an EHR, but as a true engine for early detection and better outcomes.

As someone who has spent two decades in consulting, these stories always hit me in a particular way. They remind me that every time a hospital builds something like this, a screening tool, a new way of surfacing risk…it expands what’s possible inside Epic and raises the bar for the rest of the industry. It also pushes consultants to keep learning, adapting, and staying ahead of the curve so we can support organizations as they design, refine, and operationalize these new capabilities. I think of the workflow impacts, application dependencies, and overall change management approach.

This is the kind of innovation that strengthens the value of an Epic investment while creating new opportunities for advisory work, workflow redesign, and clinical adoption support. And it’s a reminder that the future of healthcare IT will be shaped not just by software releases, but by the creativity of the hospitals and those consultants who know how to turn technology into better care.

Check out the Becker’s Article – Why University Hospitals built an Epic application to detect arthritis – Becker’s Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis