Design Clinicals LLC Simplifies Med-Rec Applications
Using First DataBank’s New CPOE-Ready Drug Database

First DataBank today announced that software developer Design Clinicals LLC is integrating the OrderView Med Knowledge Base into its next-generation product for medication reconciliation, MedsTracker™. MedsTracker is a web-based program that helps hospitals to “accurately and completely reconcile medication across the continuum of care,” which Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) has included in their National Patient Safety Goals for 2006.

When patients enter the hospital or another health care setting, it is important to ensure that the medications that they are taking at home are continued, as appropriate, in the hospital. To accomplish this task, hospitals are seeking better and more efficient ways to accomplish this important review. Don Nielsen, MD, President of First DataBank, said, “It’s gratifying to know how well our new OrderView drug database fits into important new patient-safety solutions, such as reconciling medications that patients take at home with those prescribed in the hospital. This should make the medication reconciliation process much easier for all clinical staff.”

The new Design Clinicals product is expected to help the clinical staff in hospitals and other health care organizations to ensure the safe use of medications for patients. “Hospitals are looking for applications which make medication reconciliation achievable and practical for clinicians,” according to Dewey Howell, MD, PhD, founder and CEO of Design Clinicals. “We chose OrderView because it supports our objective to allow clinicians to conveniently convert a patient’s home medications to inpatient orders,” he noted. “Delivering this functionality in a way that helps clinicians recognize immediate value is key to successful projects, and the mission of MedsTracker,” added Dr. Howell. MedsTracker will be piloted at Valley Medical Center in Renton, Washington this fall.

Another obstacle hospitals and other healthcare organizations encounter when attempting to reconcile a patient’s medications is that certain drugs may not be stocked by their pharmacy. Since First DataBank’s team of clinical pharmacists continually researches and compiles in-depth information—including patient medications not usually found on formulary—hospitals and other healthcare organizations can save time and money by having a ready reference source and not having to build new order sets.

First DataBank announced the launch of
OrderView for CPOE and medication ordering in early 2006. The product was first to introduce drug content specifically structured to streamline clinician workflow, improving CPOE usability. It enables clinicians to specify precisely the meds they need—easily, intuitively and without frustration; that is, in the most physician-friendly manner possible.

Design Clinicals LLC is a recently formed healthcare information technology enterprise, founded by physicians and IT experts. Recognizing an urgent need for improved communication of patient medical information among (often) numerous individual providers, the founders began working together to raise the level of technology tools and expertise available to improve communication efficiency among providers and healthcare organizations. Since its inception, the corporation has made significant progress in achieving its major goals. For further product information, visit: www.designclinicals.com.

First DataBank, a subsidiary of Hearst Corporation, is the leading provider of electronic drug information to the healthcare industry. We pioneered the concept of creating executable drug knowledge that’s designed to be relevant from the perspectives of multiple end users. For more than two decades, we’ve partnered with information system developers to deliver proven knowledge bases for integration into a wide range of applications all across the healthcare continuum, with particular expertise in clinical decision support within the workflow. Together with our development partners, First DataBank helps reduce the incidence of medication errors and adverse drug events, which promises to lower healthcare costs and improve patient care. For more information, visit: www.firstdatabank.com

© 2006, First DataBank, Inc. A subsidiary of Hearst Corporation. All trademarks mentioned herein are the properties of their respective owners.

Virginia Halsey, Product Management Director—NDDF Plus
650-872-4524
Virginia_Halsey@firstdatabank.com

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