UNC Health Care, based in Chapel Hill, N.C., will temporarily reduce the number of patients seen at its facilities while the launch of the system's new Epic electronic health record system is underway.
According to UNC Health Care, the temporary reduction is necessary to ensure the health system continued to provide the best patient care possible during the transition.
"Our goal was to ensure that our patients had a good experience during the transition period," according to a statement from the system. "Based on Epic's national best practices, and in the best interest of our patients, our clinics scaled back the number of (new) patients treated. This allowed for a smooth transition between the old and new systems with minimal disruptions. Our clinics will continue to increase capacity each day until we are back to full scheduling.
Because nearby Raleigh, N.C.-based Duke University Health System and Charlotte, N.C.-based Novant Health also use an Epic EHR system, the implementation at UNC will allow patient information to be more easily exchanged between these large providers, according to a WUNC report.
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