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Do you sometimes feel that Epic is its own language? Learn the lingo with the glossary below, which defines common terms and acronyms you may hear on our journey.
Terminology
- At-the-Elbow – Internal and third-party staff that will sit or stand next to providers, nurses, or techs as they navigate the system in real-time during go-live. They will assist with daily tasks like documentation, medication administration, and ordering. Walking colleagues through system navigation, charting, and workflows directly on the floor during stressful go-live shifts.
- CRE – Content Review Environment – Training environment for users to practice realistic workflow scenarios (specifically the DIL / Readiness activities) and reflective of your organization’s Epic build. It refreshes nightly, built and maintained by your Epic training team.
- Day-in-the-Life Activities – Role-specific practice sessions completed after pre-live classroom training, typically from two months before go-live to four months after go-live, designed to mirror staff’s actual jobs, improve retention, and resolve workflow issues prior to go-live.
- EpicU – Epic University – A platform used to manage and complete end user training. Learners will connect to classes, view eLearnings, access training environments, and complete assessments though EpicU. Also used to manage training track assignments, allow test outs, and view individual trainee progress.
- Exploration Guides – Guides that assist staff in practicing their workflows in Epic for predetermined scenarios.
- Flowsheets – A spreadsheet for documenting patient care consisting of a template that holds rows or groups of rows. Epic supports both documentation flowsheets and review flowsheets.
- Galaxy – Epic’s hub for all published documentation pertaining to Epic install and beyond.
- Guesthouse – Epic Environment used for contracted vendors.
- Hyperspace – Epic’s primary client application and the framework used by most Epic applications to interact with users.
- LDA – Avatar used to document lines, drains, and airway devices.
- Macro (Charge Router) – A Charge Router construct allowing you to specify actions (for example, deletion, adding a modifier) that will be performed on charges that meet certain criteria.
- Macro (NoteWriter) – Used in the NoteWriter to quickly apply a set of default values to a form.
- Narrators – A documentation tool that allows users to perform a number of tasks while viewing the timeline of the patient’s visit or of a specific event (such as a procedure).
- Navigators – A series of sections meant to follow a particular workflow, such as an office visit or medication reconciliation. Common examples include the Visit Navigator, the Discharge Navigator, and the Call Navigator.
- Orion – Epic’s tool to track decisions, milestones, and tasks for implementation.
- Playground – Environment used by trainees after class for exercises or exploration. It is identical to the Actual Classroom Environments (ACEs).
- PRD – Production Environment – Real-life Epic; used to access all information after go-live. All patient care, billing, and scheduling should take place here.
- Smart Tools – Consists of SmartPhrases, SmartText, SmartList, and SmartLinks.
- Specialty Trainer – Practicing clinical providers who work with the training team to develop and deliver specialty-specific training and post-classroom learning experiences for their providers in their clinical field of specialty, mentor other specialty trainers and their peer providers, facilitate user settings labs, and provide ongoing subject matter expertise to their peer providers during and after go-live.
- Storyboard – Acts as a user’s base of operations. From Storyboard, users can quickly review a patient’s history, take common actions such as acknowledging orders or reviewing the problem list, and jump to common activities. The Storyboard appears on the left side of the workspace and concisely curates information previously presented in the horizontal workspace header or summary reports that appeared in the sidebar. When Storyboard appears, the user’s activity and navigator tabs move to the top of the screen, where they flex and shrink to fit in the space available.
- SUP – Support Environment – Nightly copy-down of PRD with real patients and user data. Used for login testing and shadow charting. Used by analysts after go-live if needed for support.
- Super User – Staff member identified to support training, go-live, and post‑go‑live workflows by combining knowledge of Epic with organization-specific policies and legacy processes.
- Tip Sheets – Please access tip sheets via the Training Resource page via this link. These are also accessible via role specific Learning Home Dashboards (F1) in Epic.
- UserWeb – Epic’s page for all resources.
- WAM – Willow Ambulatory Environment – Used for accessing the Willow Ambulatory (outpatient pharmacy) module and environment.
- weLearning – Hub for all Epic-produced e-learning.
Acronyms
- AC – application coordinator
- AM – Application manager
- ATAT – access and training assignment tool
- CFAM – cross-functional area manager
- CT – credentialed trainer
- DIL – day in the life
- EUD – end user devices
- GLRA – go-live readiness assessment
- ID – implementation director
- IE – implementation executive
- LMS – learning management system
- MST – model state of training environment
- PLV – post-live visit
- PRCT – parallel revenue cycle testing
- PRD – production environment
- PT – principal trainer
- SC – specialty champion
- SME – subject matter expert
- STS – specialist training specialist
- TAL – training area lead
- TC– technical coordinator
- TDR – technical dress rehearsal
- TM – technical manager
- TPM – training project manager
- TST – test environment
- UGM – user group meeting
- USL – user settings labs (personalization labs)
- XGM – expert group meeting
Need a deeper dive? Check out episode 5 of “The Epic Guys with Stu and Stair” as they decode Epic jargon, from Haiku chats to hyperspace hacks.
Click here for more episodes of The Epic Guys with Stu and Stair.
For a comprehensive list of terms and definitions, visit the Epic glossary.
Hear about the latest Epic Journey updates and ask questions at an upcoming Epic Fireside Chat. These informal monthly discussions for physicians and APPs are scheduled for the fourth Tuesday of each month. Join the conversation via Zoom at https://uab.zoom.us/j/89646402214.