Innovators Convene at Epic's Inaugural European Group Meeting to Address Global Healthcare Challenges

In Bristol, UK, attendees of the European Group Meeting focused on using technology to enable better care outcomes, patient experiences, and clinician happiness.

BRISTOL, UK, June 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Experts from leading healthcare and medical research organisations came together at Epic's first European Group Meeting (EGM) in Bristol, UK. Participants showcased innovations that have delivered real-world improvements in areas such as quality of care, patient experience, clinician well-being, population health, and operational efficiency.

"EGM goes a step beyond other industry conferences," said Dr. Ari Ercole, Interim Chief Clinical Information Officer, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Cambridge, UK). "We discussed the challenges we're facing and how technology can help, and I left with concrete, actionable plans to improve the lives of the patients I serve. It's a must not only for hospital digital teams but also for decision makers who want to see opportunities for using the electronic health record for transformation."

Healthcare organisations around the world are having to do more with less, as clinician shortages combine with an aging population and an increased demand for specialised services. At EGM, participants shared specific ways that they are meeting these challenges to help their peers in Europe and worldwide implement similar approaches. Example topics included:

• Making scheduling easier for patients and staff: Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) (Manchester, UK) shared how they use patient self-scheduling capabilities to reduce administrative burden for Trust staff while delivering convenience to patients. For many specialties, patients can now schedule their own appointments through MyMFT (MFT's branding of Epic's MyChart Patient Experience Platform). In one specialty, 98% of surveyed patients said that they would recommend using MyMFT for self-scheduling.
• Seeing patients more quickly with FastPass: The Oy Apotti Ab (Helsinki, Finland) shared their experience with Epic's FastPass technology. When an appointment is cancelled, FastPass automatically finds waiting list patients who are a good match. It then offers the appointment to the patient directly—without the need for manual staff intervention. At Apotti, patients scheduled via FastPass can be seen an average of 20 days sooner than their original appointment times.
• Breaking ground with artificial intelligence to create better experiences for clinicians and patients: In May, Elisabeth-TweeSteden Ziekenhuis (Tilburg, Netherlands) and Universitair Medisch Centrum Groningen (Groningen, Netherlands) became two of the first organisations in the world to deploy Epic's AI-enabled Patient Summaries. This technology rapidly distills years' worth of clinical notes into a brief summary that clinicians can review, significantly reducing the amount of time needed to prepare for a high-quality patient visit.

"This conference highlighted the value in working together at a global level, on a shared technological platform, to provide exemplary patient experiences while improving clinician wellbeing," said Pippa Kassam, Chief Nursing Officer at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (Exeter, UK). "It was particularly special and exciting being part of the first-ever EGM. The event was organised with such precision and thought for Epic's Europe-based customers."

EGM will be held annually to bring together providers, technology experts, and industry leaders in advancing healthcare in Europe and around the world.

Epic is a global healthcare software company that helps people get well, helps people stay well, and helps future generations be healthier. Founded in a basement in 1979 with three half-time employees, Epic is now a leading EHR software developer. Epic supports healthcare organizations in 16 countries, with more than 2,700 hospitals using Epic and over 190 million patients using Epic's MyChart patient portal to manage their care online.

For more information contact: [email protected]. Visit www.epic.com/about.

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