DPH narrows external record visibility in Epic, launches "actionable knowledge" data strategy

Eric Raffin, DPH chief information officer, told commissioners that DPH implemented changes in its Epic electronic health record to limit the external medical records visible in occupational-health workflows to two categories — immunizations and allergies — to preserve privacy while allowing work‑related safety information to be accessible.

"We recently implemented some changes in the Epic platform, to focus the availability of external medical records," Raffin said, adding that immunizations and allergies are viewable in occupational health because they can be work related (for example, identifying a latex allergy or vaccination status). He said other external diagnostic records, problem lists or summaries are not viewable in occupational-health views.

Raffin also introduced the department's strategic objective "the DPH way to achieve actionable knowledge anytime, anywhere," which ties investments in Epic, data governance and analytics to three priority goals: improving health outcomes for people experiencing homelessness, developing DPH's workforce, and achieving health equity. He described steps to create a centralized data home, improve data governance and build self-service analytics and predictive models, using examples from Mental Health SF where a longitudinal view of clients will support enhanced care management and referrals.

Commissioners pressed for use cases, timelines and privacy safeguards. Raffin said the work will be phased—starting with "low-hanging fruit" and lean A3 process charters for specific problems—and that some capabilities (for example, predictive models and broader integrations) will take longer than a year. He and other DPH leaders committed to returning with concrete examples of implementation and to maintain transparency about data sources, access and governance.

No regulatory change was proposed at this meeting; Raffin said the Epic adjustments were implemented to address staff privacy concerns raised previously and the department will report back on progress and specific use cases.