DrFirst

Dynamic Data is a Doctor’s Best Friend

They say “a picture is worth a thousand words.” If that’s true, a picture is priceless when it comes to data.

Just as a spreadsheet of raw data doesn’t provide the same level of insight as a dynamic chart or graph, a visual picture of a patient’s medication history, adherence gaps, and prescription fill record is much more valuable than static stats in reducing cognitive effort and supporting clinical decision-making for providers.

MedHx Companion, recently named the “Best Computerized Decision Support Solution” in the 2022 MedTech Breakthrough Awards, gives providers an immediate, complete view of a patient’s medication history 24×7 from a comprehensive array of prescription fill sources. While we celebrate the recognition this industry award brings, what really makes MedHx Companion a winner is the success and satisfaction of our customers.

Informed Clinical Decisions Facilitate Better Outcomes

When clinicians don’t have a full picture of medication history, patients are in danger of adverse drug events (ADEs) due to duplicative medications or drug-to-drug interactions. Faced with inaccurate and incomplete data, providers are burdened with a cumbersome process of system logins and time-consuming phone calls to gather the information they need.

Henry Lederer, PharmD, is Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator in Emergency Medicine at the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center. “DrFirst’s MedHx Companion provides real-world and real-time data on patient adherence,” he says. “That allows for meaningful interventions during patient encounters and allows us to proactively ensure patients have access to and understanding of their medications.”

A recent survey by TechValidate of 234 DrFirst customers found:

• 93% say using MedHx Companion has improved clinical workflows and provided access to more clinically useful data
• 86% say MedHx Companion has improved their ability to monitor patient medication adherence and intervene when necessary

A timeline view of medication records also helps providers identify patients with unsafe morphine milligram equivalent (MME) levels and trends over time. (MME levels determine a patient’s cumulative intake of any drugs in the opioid class over 24 hours to help reduce the likelihood of overdose.) A map view quickly identifies patients seeking prescriptions from multiple providers across state lines as well as overlapping prescriptions that could cause ADEs.

“I really like the MME, Multiple Provider Episodes, and overlapping benzos and opioids charts in MedHx Companion,” says Benjamin Miles, PharmD, BCPS, Clinical Pharmacist Specialist in Emergency Medicine at Sibley Memorial Hospital, part of Johns Hopkins Medicine. “The clear, visual interface helps me intervene when necessary and helps me actively address the opioid epidemic in my community.”

Data Clinicians Need, When and Where They Need It

Developed based on the real-world expertise of DrFirst’s team of physicians and pharmacists, MedHx Companion is a web-based application designed for use with an EHR or on its own, requiring just one login (or single sign-on from an EHR) to access information in a variety of views. See how this award-winning solution delivers the concrete data doctors need for the best possible outcomes.

_{Source: December 2021 TechValidate survey of 234 users of DrFirst.}