Epic Lumens
What Is Epic Lumens A Plain-English Guide for Endoscopy Departments
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Epic® Lumens™ is the endoscopy reporting application inside the Epic electronic health record. Epic describes it as a tool that supports scheduling, performing, resulting and following up on GI and pulmonology procedures. In Lumens, endoscopists document findings, connect those findings to procedure images, create the procedure report and use reports to look at quality metrics (Epic, Specialties (opens in a new tab)). What Lumens needs from outside Epic is the images themselves, captured at the scope tower and delivered into the record. That's where endoscopy imaging software such as EndoManager® EMS comes in.
This guide covers what Lumens is, who uses it, how images reach the Lumens note, and what to sort out before your department goes live.
What Epic Lumens does
Lumens is part of Epic, not a separate product you install beside it. Because it lives in the same record as the rest of the patient's chart, the procedure note, orders, history and follow-up all sit in one place.
Based on Epic's public description, Lumens covers the procedure from start to finish:
- Scheduling. Endoscopy procedures are booked in Epic like other visits.
- Performing. Staff document the procedure as it happens.
- Resulting. The endoscopist records findings and links them to the right images, then builds and signs the procedure report.
- Follow-up. Recommendations and next steps stay in the patient's Epic record.
- Quality. Report data can be used to review key quality metrics.
How each organization builds and configures Lumens is up to that organization and its Epic team. The details of your build (templates, procedure lists, quality reports) come from your own Epic analysts.
Who uses Lumens
Lumens is aimed at endoscopy and similar procedure areas. Epic names GI and pulmonology. Health systems also use endoscopy-style workflows in other areas that rely on a scope and a camera. Typical users include:
- Gastroenterologists and pulmonologists writing procedure notes
- Endoscopy nurses and techs documenting during the case
- Endoscopy managers tracking room use and quality
- Epic analysts and IT teams who build and support the workflow
Many organizations that run Epic choose to move endoscopy documentation into Lumens so it no longer lives in a separate reporting system.
The piece Lumens relies on: procedure images
A procedure note is only as good as the images behind it. The endoscopist needs to see the stills (and sometimes video) from the case while documenting, pick the ones that show each finding, and attach them to the report.
Those images start at the scope tower, in a video processor, a camera or a capture workstation, and every brand works a little differently. Something has to:
- Know which patient and order is in the room.
- Capture or receive the images and video from the equipment.
- Store them safely.
- Send them into Epic so they're ready when the physician documents.
Epic Toolbox includes a category for this: Endoscope Data Capture.
How images get from the scope into Lumens with EndoManager
NewCura's EndoManager handles that imaging side. Here is the flow, in plain terms:
- The order comes from Epic. When a procedure is scheduled, EndoManager EMS receives the order and patient details from Epic.
- The room gets a worklist. EMS puts the patient on that room's worklist. Staff pick the patient instead of typing names and numbers, so images are tied to the right order from the start.
- Images are captured. Equipment that speaks DICOM sends images straight to EMS. For equipment that doesn't, Image Capture (EndoManager 4) captures HD stills and video at the tower from any scope brand and feeds them to EMS.
- Your team can review them. EMS gives staff one web-based viewer to label, annotate and fix images, for example if an image landed on the wrong patient.
- EMS sends them to Epic. Images go to the Lumens procedure note, and to Epic Gallery where your organization uses it, so they're there when the physician documents.
You don't need a separate VNA. Many teams assume they have to buy and run an enterprise archive before images can reach Lumens. EMS stores the images itself and sends them straight to Epic. If your organization does use a PACS or VNA, EMS can send copies there too. See PACS and VNA options →
How EndoManager works with Epic → · EndoManager EMS →
Available in Epic Toolbox
The Epic Showroom listing "EndoManager EMS by NewCura" has Toolbox status in the Endoscope Data Capture category (listing 3848 (opens in a new tab)). Epic does not endorse, certify or verify listed software.
Planning a Lumens imaging go-live: what to sort out first
Whether you're moving from paper, a standalone endoscopy reporting system or a different imaging setup, these are the questions that usually decide how smooth go-live is.
1. What's in every room? List each procedure room, its tower and video processor, model and software version. Some equipment can send DICOM directly. Some needs a capture station. A NewCura team confirms every room before quoting. Supported equipment →
2. Which areas are in scope? GI is usually first. Decide early whether bronchoscopy, EUS, ENT, urology or other scope-based areas are joining now or later, so the imaging setup can grow with them.
3. Where should images live? Decide whether images go only to Lumens and Epic Gallery, or also to a PACS or VNA. You can choose more than one destination.
4. Who owns which build steps? Your Epic team owns the Lumens build and Epic-side interfaces. NewCura configures EndoManager, the room worklists and image delivery. Agree on test patients and a test plan up front. Never use real patient data in testing outside your secure environment.
5. What about your history? If you're replacing another system, plan how historical images and reports will move, and how they'll match to the right patients. Data migration →
6. Who do staff call at 2 a.m.? Endoscopy doesn't stop at 5 p.m. Know who answers when a room goes down. With NewCura, it's a real person, 24/7/365, at 866.578.5713.
Lumens and the rest of EndoManager
EndoManager is a family of products, and Lumens teams usually need only part of it:
| Product | What it does | Typical Lumens use |
|---|---|---|
| EndoManager EMS | Clinical content management. Receives, stores and manages images and video, then sends them to Epic Lumens, Epic Gallery, PACS or VNA. No VNA required. | Core of the imaging workflow |
| Image Capture (EndoManager 4) | Captures HD stills and video at the tower from any scope brand | Rooms whose equipment doesn't send DICOM |
| Report Writer (EndoManager 3) | Point-and-click GI procedure notes | For sites not documenting in Lumens |
| ScopeCycle® | Endoscope reprocessing tracking | Optional, alongside any of the above |
Most Lumens sites document in Lumens and use EMS (plus Image Capture where needed) for images.
About NewCura
NewCura has built endoscopy software since 1999 and supports more than 500 facilities, with a global presence. Support is real people, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Frequently asked questions
What is Epic Lumens used for?
Lumens is Epic's endoscopy reporting application. Epic describes it as supporting scheduling, performing, resulting and following up on GI and pulmonology procedures, including documenting findings, linking them to images, creating procedure reports and reviewing quality metrics.
Is Lumens a separate system from Epic?
No. Lumens is part of Epic, so the procedure note sits in the same patient record as the rest of the chart.
Does Epic Lumens capture endoscopy images itself?
Images come from the scope tower, so an imaging system is needed to capture or receive them and send them into Epic. Epic Toolbox has a category for this, Endoscope Data Capture. "EndoManager EMS by NewCura" has Toolbox status in that category.
Do we need a VNA to get endoscopy images into Lumens?
Not with EndoManager EMS. EMS stores the images and sends them straight to the Lumens procedure note. If your organization uses a PACS or VNA, EMS can send copies there as well.
Which scope brands work with EndoManager and Lumens?
EndoManager is vendor neutral. DICOM-capable equipment sends directly to EMS, and Image Capture (EndoManager 4) captures from any scope brand at the tower. Compatibility depends on equipment model, software version and site configuration, so NewCura confirms every room before quoting.
Can we keep our historical endoscopy images when we move to Lumens?
Yes. NewCura's migration team can move historical images and reports and match them to the right patients. Learn about migration.
What is NewCura's relationship with Epic?
Epic doesn't endorse listed software. The accurate description is that the listing "EndoManager EMS by NewCura" has Epic Toolbox status in the Endoscope Data Capture category on Epic Showroom.
How do we get support if something goes wrong in a room?
Call 866.578.5713. Real people answer 24/7/365.
Related: EndoManager · EndoManager EMS · Epic integration · Integrations Builder · DICOM vs PACS guide · Pricing and demo
Epic is a registered trademark and Lumens is a trademark of Epic Systems Corporation. Epic Showroom™ is a trademark of Epic Systems Corporation. Epic does not endorse, certify or verify listed software. EndoManager and ScopeCycle are registered trademarks of Summit Imaging, Inc. d/b/a NewCura. Other Epic product names, including Toolbox and Gallery, may be trademarks of Epic Systems Corporation.