Medicomp Systems, a physician-driven vendor of patient data systems, has launched at HIMSS18 its new care management system for treating opioid addiction. The offering, powered by the company’s existing suite of Quippe Clinical Solutions, provides a centralized repository of clinical data and comprehensive care plans that include opioid addiction-specific treatment protocols.

According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse, every day more than 115 Americans die after overdosing on opioids. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total “economic burden” of prescription opioid misuse in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment and criminal justice involvement.

As the newest component of the Quippe product suite, the opioid care management system works with any EHR and integrates into clinical workflows. It enables all members of a care team to not only view and capture patient data at the point of care, but also leverage that data to assess risk, assign interventions, and document and measure their patients’ progress.

The evidence-based care plans, developed in collaboration with clinical and behavioral health experts, are dynamic and trackable, allowing care team members to remain focused on the patient in the room, rather than on the computer screen, contended Medicomp, which is located at Booth 3616 at HIMSS18.

“The opioid crisis has been devastating to so many patients and families in recent years, which is one reason we opted to commit extensive development resources to creating a solution that empowers physicians with the clinical information they need to better serve their at-risk patients,” said David Lareau, CEO of Medicomp. “Our care management solution was a natural extension of Quippe because it so closely aligns with the vision of our founder, Peter Goltra, who built Medicomp based on the premise that we can help physicians in the delivery of superior healthcare if we harness the power of data and make actionable insights available at the point of care.”

Also on the opioid crisis front at HIMSS18, e-prescribing and medication management systems vendor DrFirst unveiled its new mobile e-prescribing system dubbed iPrescribe. The new system is designed to help providers improve first-fill medication adherence, fight opioid abuse with in-workflow decision support tools, increase prescriber efficiency including working across multiple care provider facilities and EHRs, and drive better quality of care and reduce medication errors via improved data visibility.

DrFirst will be demonstrating the new tool at HIMSS18 in Booth 1668.

DrFirst also is making opioid crisis prevention news at HIMSS 18 with Imprivata and Forward Advantage. The three tech vendors are collaborating to deliver new technology for controlled substance e-prescribing to MEDITECH users.

The MEDITECH-recommended system brings enhanced security and in-workflow prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) access to the e-prescribing process, designed to help MEDITECH prescribers combat the opioid crisis while recognizing new workflow efficiencies.

Although specific regulations vary, 40 states now require PDMP look-up when prescribing controlled substances. EPCS Gold from DrFirst integrates PDMP access into the e-prescribing workflow with a zero-click automated look-up that, according to the company, saves nearly three minutes per patient.

EPCS Gold 2.0 also integrates with Imprivata Confirm ID to give providers increased flexibility for meeting the two-factor authentication requirement for e-prescribing of controlled substances (EPCS). Imprivata Confirm ID enables providers to use FIPS-compliant fingerprint biometrics, giving prescribers a fast authentication option for EPCS. As part of the MEDITECH-recommended system for EPCS, Imprivata Confirm ID is delivered and implemented through Forward Advantage.

“Prior to EPCS Gold, non-narcotics could be sent electronically, but narcotics had to be prescribed on paper,” said Eric Gasser, vice president of information systems at Wooster Community Hospital Health System. “Physicians didn’t like having these separate workflows, so we implemented EPCS to encourage electronic prescribing.”

The hospital focuses on assuring patient safety and addressing the opioid epidemic, and the new technology enables physicians to safely prescribe medications in a way that’s more satisfying to them and to patients, Gasser said.

“In fact, it’s been so effective and well-received that electronic prescribing is now mandated in our hospital,” he added.

DrFirst is at Booth 1668, Imprivata is at Booth 2854, Forward Advantage is at Booth 759, and MEDITECH is at Booth 1360.

Twitter: @SiwickiHealthIT
Email the writer: bill.siwicki@himssmedia.com