Why OnPage Outperforms Epic Secure Chat for Critical Communication

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) like Epic are undoubtedly pivotal to modern healthcare. With their intuitive interfaces and deeply integrated clinical decision support systems, Epic has become a cornerstone in patient care. But when it comes to communication, particularly for urgent and critical workflows, Epic Secure Chat often leaves healthcare providers searching for alternatives.

At OnPage, we’ve built a platform specifically designed to meet the nuanced demands of healthcare communication. Unlike Epic Secure Chat, which functions as a basic messaging app integrated into the EHR, OnPage takes a comprehensive approach to streamline communication for critical situations.

Let’s delve into where Epic Secure Chat falls short and why OnPage is the better choice for your healthcare organization.

Real-Time Communication That Ensures Urgency

One of the most glaring limitations of Epic Secure Chat is its inability to prioritize urgent messages effectively. While clinicians can exchange secure messages, these often fail to break through the noise, particularly for life-threatening situations such as code team activations.

OnPage ensures that critical alerts stand out. With features like “High-Priority Alerts,” urgent messages bypass silent mode and do-not-disturb settings, ensuring that healthcare providers never miss an alert that could mean the difference between life and death.

Automated Team Activation for Rapid Response

In critical scenarios, healthcare organizations cannot rely on manually contacting team members—a process Epic Secure Chat cannot automate. For example, during a Code STEMI, assembling a multidisciplinary team swiftly is paramount.

OnPage revolutionizes this process with automated team activation and role based messaging. Predefined workflows allow the system to alert all relevant team members simultaneously. Notifications may escalate automatically if a recipient doesn’t respond, ensuring no role is left unfilled. A dynamic group chat is created for seamless collaboration, keeping everyone informed in real time.

This level of automation and precision eliminates delays and frees up staff to focus on patient care, not logistics.

Seamless On-Call Scheduling

Unlike Epic Secure Chat, which requires providers to manually check call schedules or depend on the hospital’s switchboard, OnPage integrates directly with real-time, up-to-date on-call schedules. OnPage not only has its own native on-call scheduling solution but also seamlessly integrates with existing systems if needed.

This allows clinicians to identify the right provider with just a few taps, ensuring they connect with the right specialist without unnecessary delays. Whether it’s an interventional cardiologist or a trauma surgeon, OnPage makes the process intuitive and efficient.

Overcoming Device Adoption Barriers

Epic Secure Chat relies heavily on its Haiku mobile app for on-the-go communication. While Haiku offers features like access to patient charts, its adoption is hindered by the requirement for Mobile Device Management (MDM) software. Many clinicians are reluctant to install MDM on personal devices, fearing privacy intrusions.

OnPage eliminates this barrier by offering a secure platform that doesn’t impose invasive device management policies. This approach increases adoption rates, ensuring timely delivery of critical notifications to all team members.

Beyond Messaging: A Holistic Approach to Communication

Healthcare communication is more than just sending and receiving messages—it’s about ensuring the right people have access to the right information, at the right time, and in the right context. Epic Secure Chat, while functional for basic messaging, often falls short when it comes to the complexities of healthcare workflows, such as multi-team coordination or addressing unresolved alerts that require escalation.

OnPage takes a truly holistic approach to communication, designed specifically for healthcare environments. With features like AI-powered reports, healthcare organizations can gain deeper insights into their communication performance, helping to optimize workflows and response times. The ability to quickly compose messages using templates ensures that healthcare providers can send critical information without wasting valuable time, especially during high-pressure situations like Code Blues or trauma activations.

For clinicians working at multiple organizations, logging into up to three accounts simultaneously on a single device eliminates the need to constantly log in and out of different systems, streamlining access to critical information. Personal Message Notes allows clinicians to document important details as they happen, ensuring that the information is captured while it’s still fresh in your mind.

Real-time on-call scheduling ensures that the right provider is reached instantly, while automated team activation eliminates the delays associated with manual coordination. Combined with high-priority alerts that bypass silent modes, OnPage ensures that urgent messages stand out and are acted upon quickly.

With these features, OnPage ensures that communication isn’t just fast—it’s intelligent, seamless, and tailored to meet the demanding needs of healthcare teams. From improving the speed of critical workflows to providing actionable insights, OnPage empowers healthcare providers to deliver the best possible care with confidence and clarity.

A Platform Designed for Critical Workflows

Critical communication pathways such as Code Blue, Code STEMI, and trauma activations require precision and speed. OnPage is specifically designed to handle these workflows, enabling hospitals to move away from outdated paging systems and fragmented communication tools.

The Verdict

While Epic excels as an EHR, its Secure Chat feature is not equipped to handle the demands of critical communication in healthcare. OnPage offers a purpose-built platform that integrates seamlessly with existing workflows, ensuring that no time is wasted when patient outcomes are on the line.