Covenant Health, a 10-hospital health system based in Knoxville, Tennessee, has added UpToDate Advanced and Lexicomp systems – evidence-based interactive clinical decision support and drug information tools, respectively – to its health IT line-up. The systems are from vendor Wolters Kluwer Health.

WHY IT MATTERS

The regional health system opted to expand its longtime access to UpToDate at one hospital to all 10, as well as to approximately 100 clinics, spanning 23 counties in East Tennessee.

UpToDate Advanced equips Covenant Health caregivers with interactive clinical pathways to help make appropriate decisions related to specific clinical questions. The system’s Lab Interpretation feature is designed to help clinicians quickly analyze abnormal lab results and decide on next steps while helping to reduce unnecessary testing and prevent missed diagnoses.

Lexicomp provides pharmacists, physicians and nurses with access to clear, concise, point-of-care drug information. Clinicians can quickly locate information on a range of harmonized clinical and drug topics and easily link between both resources, saving clinicians time, Wolters Kluwer Health said.

ON THE RECORD

“With nearly 1,500 affiliated physicians, we serve over a million patients across East Tennessee each year who trust us to provide excellent care for every individual, every time,” said Dr. Mandy Grubb Halford, vice president and chief medical informatics officer at Covenant Health. “With both UpToDate and Lexicomp, we have an effective evidence-based resource for our clinicians and pharmacists to access through the electronic health record and on their own using mobile apps.”

Halford envisions UpToDate and Lexicomp playing a key role in the provider organization’s evidence-based order set review, eventually linking relevant UpToDate Pathways into the organization’s workflows for real-time decision-making when ordering.

“We want to standardize content and best practices across Covenant Health as a healthcare delivery system,” added Dr. Mark Browne, senior vice president and chief medical officer at Covenant Health. “We have a long history of delivering evidence-based care, and UpToDate Advanced takes us to the next level.”

Browne said that the health system’s pharmacists regard Lexicomp as a state-of-the-art resource for extensive drug information.

“Together, the implementation of Lexicomp and UpToDate Advanced ensures our clinicians are equipped to provide high-quality care across the continuum,” he contended.

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