Before the Downtime

Review and download these resources.

• Business Continuity Access Downtime Manual

• Business Continuity Access Downtime Quick Reference Checklist

• Downtime Order Sets

• How to Access Epic Read-Only

Before the downtime begins, save your work and log out of Epic.

During the Downtime

Use Epic Read-Only to view data.

Access Epic Read-Only from your desktop or through apps.houstonmethodist.org. If you don’t see the Epic Read-Only icon, click here for instructions on how to add it to your desktop.

Document the following on paper:

• Lab: Use downtime requisitions.

• Pharmacy: Use paper orders.

• Radiology and Cardiology

  • No orders will process to PACS or the transcription system.

  • Use paper requisitions and log procedures performed on the downtime documentation form.

  • Interpretation of studies will be managed per each department’s defined downtime process.

• Medical devices: Data will not flow into Epic from mobile vital signs machines, dialysis machines, bedside monitors, ventilators and anesthesia carts.

• VICU: Epic Read-Only will not receive Caregility alerts and camera links will not be available. Use the Caregility portal.

  • Sickbay risk scores that include lab data will be impacted and the New Admission Queue will not be available.

  • MultiMon will continue to display bedside monitor and vent data, but new admits will not display the patient name.

• For HM West CTM: Sickbay will not display names of new patients until after the downtime.

After the Downtime

Radiology and Cardiology

• Enter orders in Epic based on the downtime paper requisitions/downtime log.

• Process orders using standard workflows and prepare them for interpretation.

• Downtime studies will be read using the defined interpretation method for each department.

Medical devices

• Manually enter all vital sign data captured during the downtime when Epic is back up.

• Any new vital sign data collected after the downtime will automatically integrate with Epic.