Matrix Case Study

Matrix offers Madonna Towers the consistent and accurate medical record documentation they were looking for

Madonna Towers started using Matrix in 2003 after BHS made a decision to use the Web-based clinical and financial software corporate-wide. Prior to implementing Matrix, Madonna Towers' clinical staff was documenting Activities of Daily Living (ADL) on paper during specific assessment reference dates. "Getting nursing assistants to consistently fill out their paperwork and not have blanks in the document has been a big challenge," says Beth Redalen, assistant administrator for the 60-plus bed skilled care facility.

Lack of an interface between charting completed by the nursing assistants and Matrix's electronic health record capabilities resulted in a monumental effort by charge nurses to monitor documentation. "Nursing assistants felt like they were the forgotten link and their documentation didn't count," notes Redalen.

The facility faced an even bigger challenge from lost revenue due to provided, but undocumented, care. Inconsistencies between nursing assistant flow sheets and nursing progress notes went undiscovered.

Madonna Towers' previous system required intervention by the MDS coordinator, who managed a tracking tool that reminded her to make available the ADL sheets during the assessment period. The MDS coordinator also had to utilize the tracking tool to initiate ADL forms for nursing assistants during new admissions and hospital returns.

Luckily, BHS was proactive in recognizing the need for a system with electronic health record capabilities that incorporates all aspects of the traditional paper chart. According to Redalen, "Madonna Towers was chosen as a pilot site and we haven’t looked back since then."

BHS chose to roll out Matrix to its Midwest facilities in eight states. In addition to Matrix, BHS also chose to use Matrix Point of Care (POC), a resident charting technology that allows clinical staff to capture critical resident information at the bedside.

Madonna Towers mounted kiosks on the walls in their facility so that nursing assistants can immediately record care with the documentation device. In addition to the facility walls, Madonna Towers also placed kiosks in the dining room, which encourages nursing assistants to document dietary intake when it occurs. Because Matrix and POC are integrated, information documented in POC automatically updates in Matrix allowing all staff in the care setting access to the resident’s current status. Security templates allow users role-based access to specific information and documentation, which helps ensure security of personal health information.

"What really attracted our staff to Matrix was its simplicity," says Redalen. "It is so 'user-friendly' even if you are not computer savvy." Redalen says that nursing assistants caught on to the system faster than many of the licensed professionals. "Once they were trained, they just took it and ran with it," she adds. "It is fun to watch them navigate in POC. I think it has empowered them also to know all of our documentation is now in one system, which they are a big part of."

Of the several electronic records programs BHS evaluated, Matrix, with its integrated POC application, was the best choice for Madonna Towers and BHS' other facilities.

"The paper stream has substantially decreased," says Redalen.

In addition, multiple staff can simultaneously use POC to record resident information, which eliminates the wait to document or search for specific forms or missing charts. Redalen says that POC is very simple to use, even for those without extensive computer training, because it is point-and-click based.

The integration of POC and Matrix proves successful for Madonna Towers. It allows the charge nurse the ability to monitor – from any computer – ADL compliance with additional reporting features.

Nursing assistants are now "charting as they go" at Madonna Towers instead of waiting until the end of their shift and trying to remember what happened throughout the day. "This has enhanced the accuracy of the documentation," Redalen adds. "There is no 'copy cat' charting because the nursing assistants are unable to see what was documented earlier in the day or week!

"The Matrix clinical record has been a huge asset to our organization, enhancing our organizational effectiveness starting with leadership and throughout the organization," says Redalen. "It has enabled us to deploy evidence-based care and systems to produce superior resident outcomes. It has enabled us to optimize financial results and continue to focus on exceeding customer expectations. POC offers the facility the consistent and accurate medical record documentation Madonna Towers was looking for."