More features and improvements are on tap for users of the City of Hope Information System (CIS) this November, when the system receives an upgrade. Version 5.5 of the CIS will include enhancements to applications such as Registration, Scheduling, Patient Financial Manager, Sunrise Acute Care and Prescription Writer.

Raynald Samoa is a City of Hope Information System M.D. champion. (Photo by Walter Urie)

"This upgrade will make information even more accessible and user-friendly, and builds on the enhancements recently made to the CIS," said Raynald Samoa, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Clinical Diabetes, Endocrinology & Metabolism. Samoa is among a group of physicians called "M.D. champions" who are providing input on the CIS upgrade.

"This new platform will help us continue to build out our CIS system and enable us to add additional new features in the future such as electronic order entry," he said.

In addition to more visually appealing screens, users will benefit from a single sign-on for registration, scheduling and acute care applications. Staff no longer will have to sign in more than once to view patient records. Users also can move between applications without having to close and reopen a record.

Caregivers will be able to document patient allergies and intolerances to drugs separately using an improved Allergies module. The current module categorizes allergies and intolerances together. In addition, the enhanced allergy module will enable automated safety checks for drug intolerances, and clinicians will be able to record the severity of a patient's allergic reaction to a given drug.

Upgrades to the Prescription Writer application will enable faculty and staff members to record changes to a prescribed medication and to indicate that the medication profile has been reviewed by the care team.

Staff training begins Oct. 10 and runs through Nov. 23. CIS users can find out more by visiting www.coh.org/CIS and clicking on "CIS Training." Additionally, a CIS Care Center, located in Room BA02 in the Geri & Richard Brawerman Ambulatory Care Center, will open the week of Oct. 31 to provide additional education and support for CIS users.