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Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have transformed the way healthcare providers document and manage patient information within clinical settings. But when it comes to ensuring safe, seamless transitions from hospital to post-acute care, EHRs—on their own—fall short.
At Strata Health, we recognize the essential role EHRs play in healthcare delivery. However, relying on EHRs alone to manage complex care transitions can leave hospitals vulnerable to breakdowns in communication, inefficiencies, and avoidable readmissions. Here’s why—and how Strata Health bridges these gaps.
1. Interoperability Remains a Major Barrier
Most hospitals use EHRs that were built for internal documentation, not external collaboration. Unfortunately, post-acute providers—ranging from skilled nursing facilities to home health agencies—often use entirely different systems or, in some cases, no formal EHR at all.
Without seamless interoperability, critical discharge summaries, care plans, or medication lists may never reach the next point of care. Strata Health’s platform is designed to connect disparate systems, enabling real-time data exchange using standards like HL7 and FHIR, so that no information gets lost in transition.
2. EHRs Miss the Full Picture of Post-Acute Needs
While EHRs excel at capturing clinical data within the hospital, they rarely address broader factors that influence recovery—such as social determinants of health, home environment readiness, caregiver availability, or functional limitations.
Strata Health goes beyond clinical data to incorporate the full context needed for successful discharge planning. This helps care teams make better-informed placement decisions and ensures the patient’s post-acute provider is fully prepared.
3. One EHR Can’t Cover Every Setting
Post-acute care is highly diverse. From rehabilitation centers to hospice, each setting has unique documentation needs, care protocols, and reporting structures. No single EHR can effectively accommodate all of them.
Strata Health offers a centralized care coordination platform that supports standardized workflows across all care settings—enabling hospitals to scale their discharge processes while maintaining consistency, compliance, and quality.
4. Care Coordination Requires More Than Clinical Records
Effective transitions depend on timely communication, collaboration, and shared accountability—not just data access. EHRs were not built for cross-setting communication or task coordination.
Strata Health fills this void by supporting:
- Automated referral workflows
- Two-way messaging between providers
- Status tracking for discharge and placement steps
- Real-time alerts for delays or issues
This connectivity enhances coordination and speeds up placement, ultimately reducing avoidable delays and length of stay.
5. Patients and Families Need a Voice
EHRs are primarily designed for providers, not patients. Yet during care transitions, patient engagement is critical for success.
Strata Health supports patient-facing tools like digital notifications, education modules, and decision support, empowering patients and caregivers to understand their options, prepare for discharge, and participate in the care plan. Engaged patients are more likely to adhere to instructions—and less likely to return to the hospital.
6. Security and Compliance Are Non-Negotiable
Transferring sensitive patient data across settings demands robust security protocols and compliance with HIPAA and other regulations. While most EHRs have strong internal protections, many lack the external safeguards needed for cross-organizational data sharing.
Strata Health is purpose-built for secure transitions, with enterprise-grade encryption, access controls, and detailed audit trails—ensuring privacy without compromising efficiency.
7. Workflow Integration Is Essential
Even when EHRs are interoperable, they may not align with the day-to-day workflowsof post-acute providers or care coordination teams. This can lead to resistance, duplication of effort, or missed handoffs.
Strata Health is designed to embed within existing clinical workflows—either as a standalone platform or tightly integrated into your EHR—ensuring your care teams gain efficiency, not friction.
The Strata Health Advantage: Technology That Complements, Not Competes
We don’t believe hospitals should have to choose between their EHR and better care transitions. Instead, we help extend the value of your existing systems by enabling:
- Connected care coordination across the continuum
- Faster, safer, and more informed patient placements
- Improved discharge efficiency and reduced readmissions
- Better patient and provider satisfaction
In short, Strata Health fills the critical gaps that EHRs can’t—because transitioning a patient is more than a chart update; it’s a collaborative, multi-stakeholder process that demands the right tools for success.
Ready to Enhance Your Discharge Planning Process?
Strata Health works alongside your EHR to deliver the right care, at the right time, in the right place. Let’s modernize your care transitions—together.