What does a physician do daily?

As an expert oncologist, utilizing Epic Beacon is an integral part of our daily practice in managing and treating cancer patients. Epic Beacon is an oncology-specific module within the Epic electronic health record (EHR) system, designed to support the complexities of cancer care. Here's how we use Epic Beacon on a daily basis, which I'll explain as if I'm training a new hire:

1. Patient Management

• Patient Dashboard: Begin your day by reviewing your patient dashboard in Epic Beacon. This dashboard provides a comprehensive overview of your patients, including their upcoming appointments, lab results, and chemotherapy schedules. It's crucial for keeping track of patient progress and identifying any immediate concerns that need to be addressed.

2. Treatment Plans and Protocols

• Ordering Chemotherapy: Epic Beacon excels in its ability to manage and order chemotherapy protocols. When initiating a new treatment plan, you can select from pre-built, evidence-based chemotherapy protocols or customize treatment plans based on patient-specific factors. This includes adjusting dosages, scheduling cycles, and managing supportive care measures.

• Protocol Library: Make use of the extensive protocol library in Beacon, which is regularly updated with the latest standards of care. This library allows you to apply the most current and effective treatment strategies for your patients.

3. Documentation

• Progress Notes: Documentation is streamlined in Beacon. You can easily generate progress notes during patient visits, which are then integrated into the patient's overall EHR. This ensures continuity of care and allows for seamless communication with other healthcare providers involved in the patient's care.

4. Safety Checks

• Pharmacy Checks: Safety is paramount in oncology. Beacon includes built-in safety checks for chemotherapy ordering, such as dosage calculations based on patient weight and surface area, allergy alerts, and contraindications. These checks are automatically performed to reduce the risk of medication errors.

• Lab Integration: Before administering chemotherapy, it's essential to review the latest lab results. Beacon integrates with the lab system, alerting you if recent labs are missing or if results are outside acceptable ranges, ensuring treatments are administered safely.

5. Reporting and Analytics

• Outcome Tracking: Beacon provides tools for tracking patient outcomes, including response rates, survival statistics, and side effect profiles. This data is crucial for ongoing quality improvement and can be used for both internal review and reporting requirements.

• Research and Clinical Trials: For patients participating in clinical trials, Beacon supports detailed tracking of trial protocols, consents, and documentation. This facilitates seamless integration of clinical research into routine care.

6. Multidisciplinary Collaboration

• Care Team Communication: Epic Beacon supports integrated care team communication, allowing you to collaborate closely with pharmacists, nurses, and other specialists. You can share notes, treatment plans, and alerts within the system, ensuring that everyone involved in a patient's care is up to date.

7. Patient Engagement

• MyChart Integration: Beacon integrates with MyChart, allowing patients to access their treatment schedules, lab results, and educational materials. This empowers patients to be active participants in their care, improving satisfaction and adherence to treatment plans.