When Topher Sharp, SHC’s recently appointed associate chief medical information officer, told a group of physician colleagues that physician efficiency in the new Epic electronic health record is directly proportional to the amount of training, community psychiatrist Saad Shakir took him up on it.

“Can we sign up for more training?” Shakir asked during a Jan. 22 lunch scheduled to answer questions physicians have before Epic’s April 25 “go-live”.

Conveniently, William Sullivan, the lead physician trainer, was seated next to Shakir and immediately offered to follow-up on Shakir’s request.

Physician Epic training ranges from one hour for PAMF physicians (already familiar with Sutter’s longstanding Epic installation) who only consult but don’t admit patients, to eight hours of e-learning and instructor led learning for physicians who admit inpatients and/or attend in medicine and surgery where they supervise residents who also use the system.

But more training is readily available.

Sharp and Sullivan noted that a convenient tool physicians may use to help master Epic is the Epic Playground, a live Epic system with simulated patient data. This realistic interactive tool can be accessed by physicians at any time from an SHC intranet connection. Information about how to use the Playground is available in the hospital or download this booklet [guide.pdf]. Or ask to receive the instructions by email at Stanford.learning@accenture.com. Use that same email address to receive further information about signing up for refresher courses. Or, contact the training Help Desk at 800-394-7970.