Context
Sutter Health operates one of the largest Epic EMR implementations on the U.S. West Coast. Clinical teams—including physicians, nurses, medical assistants, and care coordinators—struggled with fragmented workflows that required excessive clicks, redundant data entry, and manual tracking outside the EMR. Error rates increased, documentation lagged behind visits, and clinicians spent more time navigating systems than engaging with patients.
My role was to lead a multi-disciplinary initiative to redesign core Epic workflows, reduce friction, and increase adoption of high-value features that were underutilized.
The Problem
Interviews and workflow shadowing revealed systemic issues across the care journey:
- Clinicians spent 20–30% of shift time navigating between Epic modules
- Data duplication caused inconsistencies across patient charts
- Important documentation tasks were frequently missed or delayed
- Care teams used offline workarounds (notebooks, spreadsheets) to manage daily tasks
- Alerts and in-basket messages were overwhelming, leading to alert fatigue
This negatively impacted clinician satisfaction, documentation quality, and patient-care continuity.
Users & Pain Points
Primary Users:
- Physicians (attending + residents)
- Nurses
- Medical assistants
- Care coordinators
Key Pain Points:
- High cognitive load during patient encounters
- Too many steps to complete routine tasks
- Non-intuitive navigation
- Inconsistent use of templates and smart tools
- Limited visibility into task prioritization
Root Causes
- Module fragmentation → Common tasks required switching between multiple screens.
- Lack of standardized workflows → Each care team had its own workarounds.
- Complex UI hierarchy → Critical features buried under multiple menus.
- Insufficient onboarding to smart tools → SmartTexts, SmartPhrases, and SmartLinks were available but rarely used.
- Documentation inefficiencies → Clinicians were documenting after hours (“pajama time”).
Product Strategy & Approach
I defined a product strategy centered on four pillars:
1. Workflow Simplification
Reduce navigation friction and minimize steps required for daily tasks.
2. Standardized Templates & Smart Tools
Increase adoption of SmartTexts and SmartPhrases to reduce documentation time.
3. Better Task Visibility
Improve prioritization by enhancing in-basket organization and surfacing key tasks earlier.
4. Cross-Functional Alignment
Partner with clinical leadership, IT, informatics, and Epic analysts to define a unified experience across care teams.
Solution
I led the design and rollout of a redesigned workflow system anchored on:
Consolidated Workflow Screens
Simplified steps for chart review, note creation, orders, and visit documentation— reducing module switching by 30–40%.
Standardized SmartTool Templates
Created unified SmartTexts and SmartPhrases for common visit types, improving documentation consistency.
Optimized In-Basket Routing
Grouped priority alerts and eliminated low-value notifications to reduce cognitive load.
New Role-Based Workflows
Tailored workflows for physicians, nurses, and care coordinators based on their unique responsibilities.
Embedded Training Modules
Introduced lightweight in-workflow tooltips and micro-training to increase sustained adoption.
Execution
- Ran 30+ hours of cross-functional design workshops
- Collaborated with Epic analysts to validate feasibility
- Partnered with clinician champions for iterative testing
- Conducted workflow observation before and after rollout
- Coordinated change management training across multiple care sites
Results
After rollout, we observed meaningful improvements across clinical teams:
- 25–30% reduction in clicks for routine documentation
- 40% increase in adoption of SmartTexts and SmartPhrases
- Faster chart completion during same-day visits
- Decreased alert fatigue through smarter in-basket routing
- Clinicians reported greater clarity, predictability, and speed in daily tasks
- Care teams reduced dependency on external spreadsheets and manual tracking
These improvements strengthened documentation accuracy, reduced after-hours work, and improved the overall clinician experience.
Learnings
- Standardization drives meaningful efficiency gains across large enterprises.
- Clinicians value workflow changes only when they directly reduce cognitive load.
- Continuous partnership with clinical champions accelerates adoption and long-term success.
- Embedding education into the workflow is more effective than standalone training.
