PennChart

EPIC for Researchers

Penn Medicine uses EPIC as the software for the outpatient electronic medical record system.  The EPIC clinical system is known as PennChart. The specific type of access that you will need in PennChart is contingent upon your role in clinical research study.  Please see below for the type of access that best fits your role and how to obtain this access.

Future updates

PennChart Research was last updated on September 8, 2024. This includes several new features to improve recruitment and usability. If your team is interested in seeing the new functions in more detail, please request a demo by contacting the Office of Clinical Research.

PennChart and 21 CFR Part 11:

Penn’s research community has had an increasing trend of sponsors asking about the Part 11 compliance of our EMR.

Please email your sponsor's EHR/EMR questionnaire to Penn Medicine's DART team's Service Information Officer, Vince Frangiosa.

Register a New Subject in PennChart

This is typically done for subjects or patients that do not have an existing MRN in our PennChart system. In order to request a patient MRN, please fill out this form and email the form to the EMPI (Epic) team at EMPITeam@uphs.upenn.edu .

Learn more about PennChart Research.

Training, Access, Resources, Tipsheets

If you need access to any of the health system’s clinical systems, a UPHS Sponsor will need to submit a Non-Payroll Resource request within PennforPeople. The UPHS sponsor should also request access to Knowledge Link on the same form.

Once the new hire has a health system profile, the UPHS Sponsor can request training and access to PennChart. To submit the request, the UPHS Sponsor will need the new hire’s Name, DOB and Penn ID.  

The PennChart access request form does not live within PfP. It is a separate form that needs to be submitted.

Please do not submit the form prior to re-registering the new hire for the required PennChart education in Knowledge Link. PennChart access request form: PennChart Access Request Form  

_______________________________________________  

Access to each of the following tutorials/trainings can be obtained through KnowledgeLink. We recommend you log into KnowledgeLink with your PennKey before clicking on any of the links.  Completion of the training will be recorded in your KnowledgeLink learning history.     

HIPAA Training: All PennChart Users need HIPAA Training: Protecting Patient Information (HIPAA)  

View Only Access: For View Only access to PennChart (online course): PennChart View Only   

Research Coordinator Access: For access to perform research functions (documenting, associating patients to studies, linking encounters to studies, manage My Studies) you will need to take the Research Coordinator Class: PennChart Training for Research Coordinators.  

Research Nurses: also need to take PennChart Training for Ambulatory Nurses before being provisioned as Research Nurses. 

Prerequisites: You must complete the prerequisite of Slicer Dicer virtual training available in Knowledge Link.  

Research Billing Review Access: If you will be conducting research billing review, you also need to take the Research Biller Class: PennChart Training for Research Billers   

Scheduling Access: If you need to schedule patients, you also need to take the Basic Scheduling Class: PennChart APM Schedgistration: Basic Scheduling

Beacon Protocols: If you will be using Beacon Protocols, it is recommended that you also take: PennChart Training for Treatment Plans (Beacon) for Non-Oncology Providers  

Research (investigational) medications may refer to any novel therapies (vaccines, biologics, drugs, elc) or commercially available medications ordered or administered as part of a research protocol. 

  • All research (investigational) medications for research participants being seen at Penn Medicine locations are to be electronically ordered via PennChart.
  • All research (investigational) medications being administered to research participants at Penn Medicine locations are to be documented in PennChart.
  • All research studies with research (investigational) medications ordered or administered as part of a research protocol must have a research study “RSH” record in PennChart.

The following are procedures for requesting research (investigational) medication build in PennChart:

Beacon Protocol Request:

Study team submits Protocol build request form* to PennChart Beacon team using the following link Beacon Protocol Build Request

Pharmacist submits a medication build request form to the Beacon Team using the following link Beacon or Research Medication Build Request.

*The applicable request form (Protocol Build Request or Investigational Medication Build Request) is included in the Athena ticket using the hyperlinks listed above.

Non-Beacon Medication Request:

 Pharmacist or Study team submits a medication build request form* to the PennChart Research Team using the following link Beacon or Research Medication Build Request

*The applicable request form (Investigational Medication Build Request) is included in the Athena ticket using the hyperlink above.

For a coordinator to provide access for an external monitor/auditor/inspector to review patient records in PennChart, they use Physician Link:

  1. Coordinator sends the External monitor/auditor/inspector the Condition for System Access form to complete and return.
  2. Coordinator opens an IS Help Desk ticket through the IS Self Service Portal or by calling (215) 662-7474. (You may need to login via “Two step verification”). Request to have a “Patient Group for external study monitor using physician link created” including:
  3. The Help Desk sends an email to the external monitor/auditor/inspector with instructions on how to log in. Once log in is provided to external monitor/auditor/inspector, they log in through the Physician Link web site.
  4. CRC logs into PennChart, runs Find Patients Associated with my Studies report. Select patients to release and clicks “Release to Study Monitor” button. Complete pop up adding:
    • Study name
    • Patient group (provided by the Help Desk)
    • Start and End dates – this controls the length of time the monitor/auditor/inspector has access to the records. Their access will continue until the end date.

For more information on Conditions of Clinical Systems Access for External Personnel, visit the Penn Manual.

Non-Penn users and Covered Entity (CE):

Penn Medicine physicians and faculty collaborate often with non-Penn Medicine institutions in conducting clinical research studies and clinical trials. Access to Penn Medicine patient Protected Health Information (PHI) is crucial for the regular conduct of these trials (including, but not limited to, maintaining patient safety, and recruitment of Penn Medicine patients into trials).

The Penn Medicine covered entity is comprised of the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS) and the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM). ALL OTHER ENTITIES, including other UPenn entities (e.g., the School of Nursing, Wharton, School of Engineering, etc.), as well as Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), are considered 3rd parties and fall outside the covered entity. PennChart accounts can be created for Users falling outside of the covered entity to conduct a research study/clinical trial, we require additional measures to ensure protection of patient PHI/ PII.

Considerations for non-Penn Users of PennChart:

  1. Access requests for User outside of the covered entity are processed on a case-by-case basis.
  2. Access may only be granted for a single research study/clinical trial.
  3. If access is approved, User must access the system via their established Penn Medicine credentials (i.e., Penn Medicine login, password, etc.).
  4. Failure to log into PennChart for 90 days results in account lock out or inactivation.
  5. Penn Medicine IS Self Service Portal helpdesk ticket must be submitted to request your access be reinstated. 
  6.  Users are provisioned with PennChart access for a maximum time of ONE year; access must be renewed annually.
  7. User must work with Sponsor and UPHS Lawson Manager to request extension for access.

PROCESS:

To request PennChart access for a User falling outside of the Penn Medicine covered entity, email psom-ocrops@pobox.upenn.edu with the below information:

  • Subject line: “PennChart Access Request for an Outside CE User”
  • Email message must include the User’s first and last name and primary email address

The OCR Operations team will create a record for requesting User in the REDCap tracking project within 1-2 business days. Once this record is created, the User will receive an email from “OCR Operations | PennChart Access | Users outside of Covered Entity” with the Subject line “PennChart Account Request | Process started | ACTION NEEDED”. This email contains a survey link to collect additional information from the requesting User.

IMPORTANT:

All of the requirements below must be certified by OCR Operations BEFORE a PennChart account request can be sent to the PennChart provisioning team by the Penn Medicine Sponsor’s Lawson Manager. OCR Operations reviews each submission, on a case-by-case basis, to determine that Users requesting PennChart access that fall outside of the covered entity have the  following:

  1. Certification from a Penn Medicine Sponsor
    • The Sponsor has entered their Lawson Manager's contact information
      • If approved by OCR Operations, the Lawson Manager will submit the request to create the Requestor's PennChart account
  2. Requires PennChart access for the research study/clinical trial
    • If required, the type of PennChart access - "View-only" or "Research/Edit"
    • If denied, OCR Operations will provide suggestions on how to obtain the data needed for the research study/clinical trial via other methods
  3. Has completed all required, access-specific training to obtain PennChart access
  4. Has attested to the Penn Medicine Agreement Regarding Patient Protected Health Information (PHI), Other Confidential Information, and Computing Resources.

Background on Process:

This REDCap tracking project streamlines PennChart access requests for Users outside of the covered entity by funneling them into a single workflow, capturing all needed documentation in a single location, and allowing review by PSOM's Office of Clinical Research - Operations Unit (OCR Operations). An active Penn Medicine REDCap account is NOT needed for the request process. This REDCap project uses surveys to collect all required information and documentation from the requesting User and their Penn Medicine Sponsor, and all survey invites are sent by automated emails.

This tracker captures information about the research study/clinical trial, as well as the reason(s) why the use of standard data reports (from the Penn Data Warehouse) and/or collaboration with a Penn Core (e.g., PennDnA, Honest Brokers, and/or the Penn Institute for Biomedical Informatics [IBI], etc.) will not work. Here is a visual representation of the process.

 

OCR Finance offers a range of services to assist investigators and research personnel with the pre-award submission process and the post-award management of industry-funded clinical trials. OCR offers budget creation and negotiation services; we will work with investigators and their study teams to develop budgets for clinical trials and negotiate terms with industry sponsors. Generally, budgets should be developed only after a coverage analysis has been approved, unless fully funded by the Sponsor. 

The Budgeting Team Can Help

  • Develop protocol-specific budgets and negotiate with sponsors to ensure adequate financial support
  • Assist the PI in projecting the costs for investigator-initiated trials
  • Ensure the use of standardized costs for research procedures and clinical trials across multiple programs
  • Ensure that appropriate budget and payment terms are included within the clinical trial agreements

Email to OCR Finance

PennChart Login

PennChart Manuals

Study Feasibility and Recruitment

Research Study Set-Up

Conducting the Research Study

Placing Research Orders

Inpatient Research

Research Dashboard Set-Up

Reports

InBasket Notifications

Research Billing

Beacon