What Is Epic Lumens? A Dive Into Epic’s Endoscopy Solution

Epic Systems is one of the most widely adopted electronic health record (EHR) platforms in the United States, trusted by hospitals and health systems for its comprehensive capabilities and deep clinical workflows. Known for supporting specialties across the continuum of care, Epic offers a suite of modules that help providers deliver more coordinated and efficient healthcare.

One of these modules is Epic Lumens, a solution designed specifically for gastroenterology and endoscopy teams. As endoscopic procedures become more data-intensive and documentation-heavy, tools like Lumens are helping clinicians streamline their workflow while keeping the focus on patient care.

In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at what Epic Lumens is, how it fits into the Epic ecosystem, and why it matters for hospitals and GI practices today. Whether you’re a clinical leader, an IT administrator, or evaluating how to modernize your endoscopy services, this guide will offer practical insights into Lumens’ capabilities and its potential value for your organization.

What Is Epic Lumens?

Epic Lumens is Epic’s dedicated endoscopy module built to support the specific needs of gastroenterology and procedural documentation. Integrated directly into the broader Epic EHR ecosystem, Lumens is used to document and manage endoscopic procedures such as colonoscopies, upper GI exams, and flexible sigmoidoscopies—all within the patient’s longitudinal medical record.

Unlike standalone endoscopy reporting systems, Lumens is embedded in the same platform used for inpatient, outpatient, and specialty care, ensuring clinicians have immediate access to the patient’s full medical history and current status.

Designed with input from GI specialists, the module focuses on three main goals:

1. Streamlined documentation that reduces clicks and manual data entry during high-volume procedural workflows.
   
2. Improved visualization and reporting, making it easier to document findings alongside images and videos captured during the procedure.
   
3. Regulatory and billing compliance, with built-in support for CPT and ICD codes, quality metrics, and procedure-specific checklists.
   

Lumens is not just a documentation tool—it’s an operational bridge between clinical care, administrative workflows, and enterprise-level reporting, helping gastroenterology teams operate more efficiently while maintaining compliance and quality standards.

Key Features of Epic Lumens

Epic Lumens is purpose-built to support the demands of gastroenterology practices by combining structured documentation with clinical usability. Below are some of the standout features that make Lumens valuable for endoscopy teams:

Smart Form Templates for Consistent and Quick Procedure Documentation

Lumens offers pre-configured SmartForms tailored to common GI procedures like colonoscopies and upper endoscopies. These forms standardize documentation, minimize variation between providers, and allow teams to complete notes quickly without compromising clinical detail. Providers can pull forward relevant patient information, enter findings with just a few clicks, and ensure key quality metrics are captured along the way.

Image & Video Integration with Endoscopic Devices

During a procedure, images and videos captured from the endoscopy system can be directly embedded into the patient’s chart through Lumens. This visual documentation supports accurate interpretation, helps in peer reviews or consultations, and serves as a clear reference for follow-up care.

Structured Reporting for Clarity and Compliance

Rather than relying on free-text entries, Lumens uses structured data fields that align with documentation standards. This makes it easier to extract key procedure elements for billing, coding, and quality reporting. It also ensures consistency across providers and locations, which is critical in large health systems.

Pre- and Post-Procedure Workflow Integration with Epic Hyperspace

Lumens fits naturally within Epic Hyperspace, allowing clinical teams to manage everything from pre-procedure checklists and informed consent to recovery notes and discharge planning, without switching systems. Orders, vitals, nursing notes, and follow-up instructions all stay connected in one place.

Voice Dictation and NLP Support (Where Available)

For providers who prefer speaking over typing, voice recognition tools integrated with Lumens can be used to dictate procedure details. In some configurations, natural language processing (NLP) tools help convert dictated content into structured fields, helping teams maintain documentation standards without slowing down the workflow.

Benefits of Using Epic Lumens

Epic Lumens isn’t just a documentation tool. It’s designed to improve clinical operations, compliance, and patient care in gastroenterology departments. Here’s how healthcare organizations benefit from implementing Lumens:

Improved Clinical Documentation

With built-in templates and structured workflows, Epic Lumens helps providers capture comprehensive, accurate notes more efficiently. The ability to embed procedural images, auto-populate common fields, and follow evidence-based prompts leads to stronger clinical documentation, without slowing down the provider.

Operational Efficiency

By integrating directly with the broader Epic platform, it eliminates the need to jump between systems or duplicate data entry. Nurses, technicians, and physicians can all work from the same record. This reduces administrative burden, shortens charting time, and allows teams to turn over procedure rooms more quickly.

Better Billing and Compliance

Epic Lumens is aligned with billing codes and regulatory frameworks such as CPT and ICD. It prompts providers to complete required documentation and supports accurate charge capture, helping reduce claim denials and audit risk. This also supports quality reporting initiatives tied to reimbursement.

Better Patient Outcomes

Because it keeps everything, from pre-procedure history to post-procedure instructions, within the same record, clinicians have a clearer view of the patient journey. This continuity supports better decision-making, improves handoffs between departments, and helps ensure timely follow-up care.

In one implementation, our team supported a rehabilitation solution that integrated real-time device data directly into Epic. This allowed clinicians to track patient recovery metrics within the EHR, enabling timely interventions and improved care coordination. The same principles—real-time data flow, structured documentation, and care team visibility—are directly applicable to how GI departments can use Epic Lumens to manage post-procedure follow-ups and drive better patient outcomes.

How Epic Lumens Supports Gastroenterology Teams?

Epic Lumens is specifically designed to support the fast-paced, high-volume environment of GI practices. From routine screenings to complex diagnostic procedures, it enables teams to work more effectively while keeping clinical quality and patient safety at the forefront.

Support for Upper GI, Lower GI, and Diagnostic Procedures

Lumens accommodates a range of endoscopic procedures—including colonoscopy, EGD, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and more. Each procedure type comes with documentation tools tailored to its workflow, ensuring that essential findings, measurements, and images are recorded quickly and consistently.

Colonoscopy Workflow Optimization

For colonoscopies, Lumens helps track quality indicators like bowel prep, withdrawal time, adenoma detection, and biopsy sites. These data points are not only important for documentation and billing but also feed into quality metrics that GI departments monitor closely. Lumens helps make sure those details aren’t overlooked.

Integrated Scheduling, Pathology, and Imaging Modules

Endoscopy doesn’t happen in isolation. Lumens integrates with Epic’s scheduling tools, so procedure appointments are synced with staff and room availability. It also interfaces with pathology orders and lab results, allowing providers to link biopsy findings directly to the procedure record. Radiology images, lab data, and patient history from EpicCare are accessible at the point of care, making it easier for GI teams to work from a full clinical picture.

Integration with Other Epic Modules

One of the defining strengths of Epic Lumens is its seamless integration across Epic’s ecosystem. Instead of existing as a standalone product, Lumens functions as part of a larger, interconnected workflow, ensuring that endoscopy care is not siloed but fully embedded within the patient’s continuum of care.

Connection with EpicCare, MyChart, and Beaker

1. EpicCare: Clinical notes, medication lists, allergies, and care team information flow freely between EpicCare and Lumens. This reduces duplicate entry and allows endoscopy teams to work with the most current patient data.
2. MyChart: Patients can receive post-procedure instructions, review their results, and schedule follow-ups through MyChart, creating a smoother recovery and better engagement.
3. Beaker (Lab Module): Biopsies taken during procedures can be ordered and tracked through Beaker. Once processed, pathology results feed directly back into the patient’s chart and link to the originating procedure, giving providers a complete view without jumping between systems.
   

Interoperability with External Devices and Systems

Lumens supports integration with endoscopy hardware, image capture systems, and scope tracking tools. Images and videos captured during procedures can be stored alongside structured findings. Many organizations also configure Lumens to interact with anesthesia documentation systems and third-party PACS platforms, keeping all perioperative data in sync.

Role in the Broader Digital Health Ecosystem

Because it’s part of the larger Epic infrastructure, Lumens contributes to analytics dashboards, population health tools, and clinical quality initiatives across the enterprise. For example, data captured in Lumens can feed into colorectal cancer screening reports or GI-specific quality benchmarks, without needing a separate database or reporting tool.