Our client, one of the largest publicly traded hospital networks in the United States, faced operational challenges in managing their emergency room (ER) operations, including fragmented data systems, difficulties in promptly identifying patients, and inefficiencies during patient transitions from ER to inpatient care. These challenges negatively impacted decision-making capabilities, slowed operational workflows, and ultimately affected patient care quality and resource allocation.
Internally, the hospital sought to modernize its systems to better leverage data-driven insights, aiming to improve real-time patient management and operational efficiency. Recognizing these specific needs, they partnered with Emids to develop a targeted solution integrating advanced AI and cloud technologies.
In collaboration with Google Cloud and UnityAI, Emids developed a proof of concept (PoC) specifically designed to address emergency room management needs. The solution focused on enhancing patient identification accuracy and improving the operational transitions between ER and inpatient care, powered by generative AI (GenAI) to quickly and accurately process patient data.
To provide actionable, real-time insights, the solution leveraged Google’s Cloud Health Data Engine (HDE), incorporating pre-General Availability (GA) GCP features for advanced analytics and improved system responsiveness. A Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) store was also integrated with Google’s BigQuery, facilitating seamless data interoperability and supporting robust analytics capabilities.
Additionally, a secure real-time data streaming pipeline was constructed using GCP tools such as PubSub and DataFlow, allowing for efficient data processing and transfer. Lastly, an HL7 MLLP adaptor was implemented to ensure effective integration of the new AI-enabled system with existing hospital technologies.
Following the solution’s deployment, the hospital’s emergency room operations saw substantial improvements. Healthcare providers gained immediate access to accurate, AI-driven insights, significantly enhancing the speed and accuracy of patient identification and ER management. This directly supported smoother patient transitions from the ER to inpatient care.
Additionally, increased data transparency allowed healthcare professionals and hospital administrators to make more informed, timely decisions. This led to measurable improvements in patient outcomes and operational performance.
Operationally, the hospital experienced improved efficiency, demonstrated by streamlined workflows and optimized resource allocation. Reduced ER wait times and better management of care pathways resulted in tangible improvement in both patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes.
This initiative provided a robust foundation to scale future AI-driven initiatives, ensuring the hospital remains equipped to adapt effectively to future healthcare technology advancements.
Healthcare organizations operating in revenue cycle management (RCM) face the challenge of optimizing financial outcomes while ensuring a seamless patient experience. For one large RCM solution provider, this mission was hindered by inefficiencies that impacted operational effectiveness and client satisfaction. Recognizing the urgency for transformative change, Emids partnered with the provider to deliver innovative solutions that addressed their most pressing challenges and unlocked measurable results.
The provider faced mounting challenges that hampered its ability to meet business goals and client expectations. Manual processes consumed excessive time and resources, leading to high operational overheads and inefficiencies. The existing research and development (R&D) processes were rigid, causing significant delays in the delivery of features and impacting the provider’s ability to stay competitive. Onboarding for data licensing services was another pain point, with timelines stretching up to eight weeks and creating dissatisfaction among clients. Furthermore, prolonged transaction times during patient access workflows introduced bottlenecks, detracting from the overall user experience and client trust.
Emids approached these challenges with a strategic and holistic solution. At the core of the engagement was the introduction of the Right-Speed R&D Model—a flexible framework designed to optimize costs without compromising speed-to-market. This model reduced R&D spend by 40%, enabling the provider to deliver value faster and more efficiently.
In addition, Emids automated key operational workflows, reducing dependency on manual processes and achieving significant efficiency gains. The onboarding process for data licensing services was revamped and streamlined, cutting the timeline from eight weeks to less than two weeks. To tackle transaction bottlenecks, Emids implemented optimized systems that reduced patient access transaction times from 30 minutes to just a few seconds. These targeted interventions were instrumental in driving operational excellence and elevating client satisfaction.
The strategic collaboration between Emids and the RCM solution provider resulted in impactful and measurable outcomes:
This partnership underscores Emids’ ability to deliver customized, impactful solutions that drive tangible results in the RCM domain. By addressing critical inefficiencies and fostering innovation, Emids empowered the provider to achieve its business goals while enhancing client satisfaction and operational excellence. Know more about how we are solving problems for HealthTech with strategic solutions.
A prominent health plan serving millions of members faced multiple, interrelated challenges that were impacting its efficiency and profitability. Key among these was a lengthy end-to-end (E2E) and user acceptance testing (UAT) cycle that extended up to eight weeks per release. This drawn-out testing period meant the health plan could only manage three production releases per year, severely limiting their ability to roll out new features and improvements at a competitive pace. Compounding this issue, their automation coverage was only 25%, leaving most testing processes manual and time intensive. Consequently, approximately 12% of defects were only identified post-deployment, resulting in costly fixes, potential disruptions in service, and a negative impact on the user experience.
Recognizing the need for a strategic transformation in their quality assurance (QA) approach, the health plan partnered with Emids to overhaul their QA processes, aiming to streamline testing, increase automation, and improve release frequency without compromising quality.
Emids implemented a robust QA transformation program designed to address these specific challenges and create a scalable, high-quality QA ecosystem. The transformation was grounded in a deep understanding of the client’s unique testing requirements and was executed through several targeted strategies.
Emids established and enforced stringent QA standards to ensure consistency across all testing phases. These best practices created a foundation for thorough quality tracking, allowing the health plan to monitor the effectiveness of their QA processes at each stage. With these standards in place, Emids was able to increase the reliability and quality of every release.
Emids deployed a centralized team focused on identifying and prioritizing backlogged tasks for automation, enabling the health plan to address pending issues and eliminate bottlenecks more effectively. By reducing manual effort, the team helped streamline the testing workflow, making the process faster and more efficient.
Emids committed to significantly increasing automation coverage within the QA process, ensuring that all core functionalities and new features underwent automated testing before release. This automation framework guaranteed consistency in testing, reduced human error, and minimized manual interventions, enhancing both the speed and accuracy of the testing process. This approach not only accelerated release cycles, but also delivered high-quality, reliable products to market with each deployment.
To safeguard sensitive member information, Emids implemented advanced data obfuscation techniques, anonymizing production data used in development and QA environments. This step significantly reduced the risk of data exposure, ensuring that all testing adhered to industry standards for data security and compliance.
Emids introduced a self-service utility that allowed QA teams and developers to generate test data on demand. This tool streamlined the testing process by empowering teams to quickly access the data they needed without dependencies, resulting in enhanced operational efficiency and effectiveness.
The QA transformation initiative delivered measurable, impactful results for the health plan, substantially improving both operational efficiency and product quality. The following key outcomes demonstrate the impact of the initiative.
By reducing the end-to-end testing duration by 25%, Emids enabled the health plan to accelerate its release cycle. This reduction allowed the health plan to introduce two additional production releases annually, improving their competitive positioning and responsiveness to market demands.
With enhanced QA processes and increased automation coverage, the defect rate in production was significantly reduced. Late defect identification dropped by 70%, resulting in fewer post-deployment issues and improved product reliability. This reduction in defects also led to enhanced user satisfaction and decreased maintenance costs.
Automation coverage rose dramatically, reaching 75% of the testing processes. This was achieved through the development of a more robust automation framework, featuring reusable components that improved productivity and efficiency by 40%. As a result, the health plan benefited from faster, more reliable, and more scalable QA processes.
Through this QA transformation, Emids empowered the health plan to deliver high-quality products more efficiently and with greater speed. The strategic improvements in quality assurance processes provided the client with a scalable solution that supported rapid growth, reduced operational risks, and positioned them for long-term success in a dynamic healthcare market.
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A leading health plan with millions of members faced significant operational inefficiencies due to manual processes across multiple departments. These inefficiencies were time-consuming, hindered service quality, and negatively impacted the organization’s bottom line. Key areas such as Claims, Care Management, Enrollment & Billing, and Pharmacy Benefit Management were experiencing bottlenecks, leading to delays, higher operational costs, and reduced productivity. The health plan recognized the need to streamline operations through automation to boost productivity and improve cost-effectiveness.
The health plan partnered with Emids to deploy an enterprise-wide intelligent automation solution. Leveraging UiPath’s automation platform, Emids implemented a comprehensive suite of automated processes across multiple business functions. The solution included:
These automations significantly reduced manual efforts and increased operational efficiency across the board.
The implementation of intelligent automation delivered significant results for the health plan, leading to improved productivity, cost savings, and operational efficiency. Key outcomes included:
By integrating intelligent automation into their core processes, the client achieved significant operational efficiencies, cost savings, and service improvements. The success of this initiative positioned them to leverage automation as a key component of its long-term strategy, ensuring a competitive edge in the healthcare industry.
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A prominent healthcare organization in the USA, managing diverse business lines including retail, pharmacy, health insurance, managed healthcare, and population health management, sought to modernize its data ecosystem. The goal was to transition from on-prem systems to the Google Cloud Platform (GCP) to leverage the full potential of their data, enhance scalability, and streamline operations. However, the cloud migration posed significant challenges, such as handling large datasets, ensuring data integrity, and maintaining uninterrupted business operations during the transition.
Emids executed a well-orchestrated, multi-phase migration plan. The journey began with meticulous planning, involving comprehensive collection of details about the client’s workloads, schemas, users, and source systems. This exhaustive analysis was crucial in crafting a tailored migration strategy for a smooth transition.
Migration Planning: Detailed information on workloads, schemas, users, and source systems was collected, forming the basis for a customized migration strategy.
Schema Design and Data Rationalization: The target schema was designed and data sets were rationalized to optimize performance and scalability on GCP.
Data Migration: Data was migrated from Hadoop to BigQuery, encompassing both one-time data transfers and the setup of incremental workload processes. This included data replication, transformation, and ingestion to ensure efficient and accurate data movement.
Workload and Application Migration: The migration of workloads and applications was managed by converting code from HQL to BigQuery SQL and adapting scripts using Python and PySpark. Airflow was utilized for job scheduling and monitoring to ensure seamless and continuous operations.
Application Management and Validation: Robust application management tools were set up, including cost monitoring with Apptio and application monitoring with New Relic. Extensive data validation, end-to-end testing, and a production parallel run were conducted to ensure system reliability.
Decommissioning and User Adoption: The Hadoop environment was decommissioned, on-prem data removed, scheduled jobs terminated, and end-user adoption of the new system facilitated.
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Expert-led cloud migration services designed to optimize costs, enhance innovation, and mitigate risks for healthcare organizations.
Discover our Cloud Migration SolutionsThe project delivered transformative results for the healthcare organization:
Successful Migration: The healthcare business unit’s data was seamlessly migrated to GCP, establishing a new semantic layer that improved data accessibility and usability.
Enhanced Data Processing: The new cloud infrastructure provided enhanced data processing capabilities, supporting a broader range of use cases and enabling rapid scaling to meet business demands.
Operational Excellence and Cost Management: With modern tools and optimized processes, the organization experienced improved operational efficiency, reduced costs, and better data management. The cloud environment facilitated advanced analytics and business insights, driving growth and innovation.
A non-profit Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), wanted to modernize its IT ecosystem. This included a crucial migration to the cloud, constructing next-generation data platforms, and upskilling their workforce to support their growth trajectory. They were also driven by the need to comply with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Interoperability and Patient Access final rule, which mandates that patients have access to their health information through standardized APIs like HL7 FHIR. The HMO faced significant challenges in ensuring seamless data migration while adhering to stringent compliance requirements and modernizing their infrastructure.
Emids was brought in to navigate these complex requirements and provide a robust solution. We began by developing a comprehensive cloud strategy that encompassed a detailed data platform strategy on AWS.
Our approach was multifaceted:
Leverage CMS Interoperability Program: Using the CMS Interoperability program as a minimum viable product, we ensured that our solution met immediate compliance needs while setting the foundation for future expansion.
Data Mapping and Architecture: We meticulously mapped data from the HMO’s source systems to the FHIR store, ensuring accuracy and completeness. Our team designed an architecture pattern tailored to the client’s needs, establishing AWS infrastructure and CI/CD pipelines for streamlined operations.
Data Migration: Utilizing tools like Sqoop, we migrated data from on-prem databases to AWS S3 buckets. We then implemented a FHIR server, converting data into the FHIR format and loading historical data into an MS SQL Server in FHIR format.
Data Pipelines and Authentication: We created data pipelines using AWS Glue, Python, and Lambda to handle incremental data loads from new systems to the cloud. Additionally, we enabled member authentication and authorization using Okta, ensuring secure access to data.
YOUR PARTNER IN CLOUD TRANSFORMATION
Expert-led cloud migration services designed to optimize costs, enhance innovation, and mitigate risks for healthcare organizations.
Discover our Cloud Migration SolutionsThe project was executed with precision, leading to several significant outcomes:
Architectural Excellence: We delivered a robust cloud architecture pattern that provided a scalable and efficient framework for the HMO’s operations.
Enhanced Compliance and Interoperability: The HMO achieved full compliance with CMS mandates, providing patients with seamless access to their health information via FHIR APIs. This not only met regulatory requirements but also enhanced internal data exchange processes.
Operational Efficiency: Data on the cloud facilitated advanced analytics, improving decision-making and operational efficiency. The new system supported rapid data access and processing, empowering the HMO to offer better services to its members.
Our client, a distinguished national medical group, delivers personalized primary care at home to those confronting various health challenges. Operating under a value-based model, their services are rendered in unconventional care settings, focusing on client engagement, integrated systems and care documentation to realize revenue.
The client wanted to implement an enterprise operating clinical technology solution to fortify their distinctive business model. To ensure their future success, it was pivotal for them to foster customer engagement, secure payer approvals for member services, meet contractual requirements for Quality Assurance in documentation and coding, and meticulously document care for precise coding and revenue realization, all within a framework of integrated systems.
Emids was brought on board by the client to validate the system choices crucial for supporting their business model and addressing the various functionality assessment related to their CRM, Scheduling, Coding, and Revenue Cycle Management.
Emids initiated a rigorous fitness examination to clarify the client’s business model, document and facilitate a deeper examination and validation of the functionalities in accordance with their business needs. The solution involved a collaborative exploration to understand the complexities of the client’s unique care model and to refine the business model through in-depth workflow mapping leveraging a digital visual collaboration platform.
Emids led the assessment in three phases which involved reviewing existing processes, identifying possible solutions and determining the future course of action. This was implemented through meticulously documenting the workflow of the client’s business model and aligning the future functionalities to it. We spent time with their existing vendors to do a rigorous examination of the functionalities to deepen our understanding of the workflow/ functionality impact. We further developed options and impact to time/cost, day in the life of key stakeholders to determine the efficacy of the functionalities of the legacy technology systems and solutions. Through a thorough review of the functionalities against the business model requirements we successfully assessed the supportive capabilities of their existing enterprise operating clinical technology solution.
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Emids Digital Maturity IndexWe also created significant value for the client by discerning the need for a coding system tailored to support the specific business requirements of their payer customers. We recommended a solution that could plug those gaps seamlessly, streamline their Document QA and Coding QA processes in accordance with the payer guidelines.
Our assessment concluded that their existing platform worked for their EMR solution but did not cater to patient engagement, scheduling, billing and coding requirements of their business operations. We also evaluated various other vendor platforms and did their cost and functionality analysis. Accordingly, we recommended to the client an enterprise operating platform that was best suited to their business model and which included and supported integration of CRM, Scheduling application and Billing & Coding solutions along with EMR.
Emids also developed a unique patient journey map to help the client plug gaps in the patient delivery lifecycle and lay a foundation for effective patient engagement. We provided recommendations offering a detailed perspective on the requisite technology to bolster integration of sales enablement, CRM, documentation, and RCM.
This collaboration and the subsequent solutions facilitated the client in authenticating the digital fitness of their operational technology, systems, and processes against the aspired business model.
The approach yielded in decoding incompatibilities in the functionalities of their operating technology in alignment with their distinctive care model. The insights from our findings empowered the client to optimize their workflow and processes and select the right technologies to support and address the specialized needs and complexities of delivering home-based care. The client was successfully able to validate their system choices and confirm their capability to effectively support the business model and operational needs, ultimately leading to improved patient care outcomes.
By identifying the need for a specialized coding system and recommending a suitable solution, the client was positioned to align better with the specific business requirements of their payer customers. Not only this enabled the client to streamline their processes but also mitigated compliance risks, ensuring adherence to payer guidelines. This shows how Emids’ proactively understood the client’s needs and created value with potential enhancements in their overall efficiency and compliance for improved satisfaction and trust among their payer stakeholder group.
This demonstrates Emids consulting expertise in creating a unique patient transformative journey map with tailored technical solutions to enhance the business model and services of the client. Thus, setting a robust foundation for a personalized home care experience.
Our client, one of the leading Medical Centers in Tennessee, has a wide network of hospitals as well as clinics and facilities throughout the state. During and after the pandemic there was a significant turnover of their front-office staff, and the Medical Center was dealing with a staggering backlog of thousands of documents inaccurately linked to patient records.
In addition to this, there was a surge in the utilization of Epic MyChart Proxy Access requests and telehealth services from their customers seeking access to their family’s/patient’s medical records at the Medical Center. This resulted in a high volume of daily requests for Epic MyChart Proxy access across various patient categories.
With limited trained staff available to handle these requests and emerging escalated internal costs the client recognized the need for an agile and sustainable solution.
They contracted with Emids for 1) a one-time clean-up of their Epic HIM Work Queue and 2) outsourcing of their Epic MyChart Proxy Service on an ongoing basis.
Emids delivered a robust and cost-efficient solution to address the client’s challenges during and after the pandemic. By deploying a highly skilled team of Epic specialists Emids was able to optimize and streamline the Epic Work Queue Management for HIM and MyChart Proxy Services. We enabled efficient processing of a huge backlog of documents and integration of the correct patient’s medical records ensuring patient data accuracy.
Post the pandemic, Emids took ongoing charge of the Epic MyChart Proxy Work Queue with the aim to enhance operational efficiency and maximize productivity, while adhering to client’s internal compliance and guidelines. We provided an on-demand flexible and scalable service tailored to cater to their unique requirements to optimize resource utilization while reducing costs and expediting the workflow.
The partnership successfully eliminated the Epic HIM Work Queue Backlog of incorrect documents mapped to the wrong patients as well as the Epic MyChart Proxy Work Queue backlog of access requests that had been affecting the Medical Center’s operations and patient satisfaction. This collaboration optimized patient safety by ensuring precise and timely record management. Emids’ team proficiently managed the daily influx of requests, resulting in significant reductions in the customers resources man-hours. This enabled the client to redirect their higher costs Epic staff towards more strategic initiatives, ultimately resulting in significant cost savings for them.
Emids adeptly adjusted and flexed the team size to address sudden spikes in demand, delivering not only improved turnaround times but also enhanced customer satisfaction. With the challenge of time-consuming Epic Work Queue management alleviated, the client’s staff members experienced increased job satisfaction, which contributed to improving their employee retention rate.
Emids partnered with the client, functioning as an extension of their in-house team, significantly boosting productivity and effectively addressing business challenges. This successful partnership highlights Emids’ expertise, dedication, and agility, ultimately enhancing patient experiences and customer care.
Our client, a multinational statistical software development and contract research organization, is one of the largest providers of statistical software and advanced analytics for clinical trial design and execution. They sought to develop a cloud-based web application to optimize clinical trial design and management, aiming to reduce risks, improve operational efficiency, protect patient safety, and enable informed, data-driven decisions during initial trial design and on an ongoing basis.
The objectives were to launch a multi-tenant SaaS application, offer real-time trial design alterations, enhance engine capability to handle more complex algorithms, provide a premium user experience, enable real-time application monitoring, and facilitate easy customer onboarding. Additionally, the application was intended to help development teams reach data-driven consensus rapidly and collaboratively through interactive visuals.
Emids’ dedicated teams embarked on the journey in February 2020, starting with knowledge transfer sessions and stakeholder visits. We built a robust foundation with the formation of core and scrum teams, and an initial four-week immersion in the client’s location.
We focused on incorporating agile framework and practices into the client system, with regular sprints to accelerate the alpha release. Infrastructure recalibration, architecture optimization, and automation were some of the key steps towards the successful alpha release.
The solution’s architecture was designed to be highly scalable, with a microservices-based approach and built-in application performance monitoring. We leveraged tools like Jest, Xunit, and JSLint for unit testing and integrated code quality reports. The CI/CD pipeline was automated, and we used CoreAccel and Pendo integration to enhance the platform’s functionality.
By deploying multiple scrum teams with domain and technology expertise, we fast-tracked development and launched the application 1.0 within two quarters of engagement. The result was a green field, cloud-based SaaS platform with end-to-end ownership, from architectural design and product ownership to production deployment.
The new platform, equipped with superior compute power, can simulate 150k models simultaneously, providing real-time notifications. The platform has increased the probability of success for clinical trials and saved weeks to months of time by achieving consensus faster. It has delivered a potential business impact of 10-20% cost savings for drug trials and a 10-20% reduction in drug trial durations.
The engagement also led to the development of a highly secure SDLC, compliant with OWASP top 10 web application security. By following a test-first approach and using code quality tools, we reduced defects and prevented manual errors. This successful engagement has underscored Emids’ dedication, nimbleness, and impact, making a real difference in the field of clinical trial design and execution.
Diagnosing and treating rare diseases is a complex task that often presents barriers. The MYO-MRI consortium, a dedicated group of healthcare professionals focused on rare conditions, was limited by an outdated method of sharing crucial patient images and data. In 2019, vital images were still being transported physically on CDs, causing substantial delays and potential risks to patient data.
Moreover, the lack of a unified platform combining genetic diagnosis, imaging pathology and muscle MRI images added to the challenge. This technology gap wasn’t exclusive to neuromuscular diseases but extended to many other disorders as well.
Emids, a trailblazer in healthcare technology solutions, collaborated with the Ottawa Hospital and the MYO-MRI consortium to create MYO-SHARE, a novel, cloud-based platform. This platform facilitates more efficient collaboration among clinicians working on rare diseases. Utilizing the robust framework of Emids’ HealthConnect platform and hosted on Azure, MYO-SHARE was designed using existing backend components, enabling fast deployment of this transformative tool.
MYO-SHARE offers a secure platform for storing and reviewing patient images, with utmost respect for ethical laws and patient confidentiality. It also simplifies the sharing of intricate patient images with colleagues across the globe. In addition, MYO-SHARE has the unique capability of integrating genetic diagnosis, imaging pathology and muscle MRI images.
Built-in data security and user management layers in the Emids HealthConnect platform ensure that MYO-SHARE is secure. By using previously tested and deployed components, the platform is not only reliable but efficient.
MYO-SHARE’s successful implementation has significantly improved physicians and scientists’ ability to diagnose and assess the impact of therapeutic trials for patients with rare diseases. Its secure and user-friendly interface allows healthcare professionals to collaborate seamlessly, sharing complex patient images in real-time.
The cloud-based platform not only speeds up the diagnostic process but also enhances patient outcomes. MYO-SHARE’s transformative role also extends to other diseases, showcasing its wider applicability.
The joint efforts of the Ottawa Hospital, the MYO-MRI consortium and Emids have resulted in MYO-SHARE becoming a groundbreaking tool for the diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases globally. This is a testament to Emids’ commitment to leveraging existing and emerging technologies to make a meaningful impact on healthcare.
