Patient Education Pamphlets

As Matt Bennardo pointed out, when EMR and EHR companies are under development and they are looking to include drug and medicine information, they must given proper consideration to the quality of the drug information, the ease of installation, and the level of customer service provided by the drug  data provider.  In order to meet the Meaningful Use standards,  the EMR and EHR developers now care more about drug and medicine information than ever before.   They now care about drug interactions,  drug-drug and drug-allergy interactions,  adverse drug events,  patient education pamphlets,  dose information,  pediatric dosing inforamation,  drug brand names and drug generic names.

Hundreds of Lexi-Data customers are now integrating Lexicomp reference and transaction drug information into their systems under development.   As Matt had said:

"Comprehensive data covers all decision support Meaningful Use requirements:

• Compatible with required standards like RxNorm
• Supports drug-drug and drug-allergy interaction checking
• All data necessary for ePrescribing and CPOE
• Additional functionality like dose range checking

Fastest and easiest integration gets you to market faster:

• Easy-to-use APIs and web services -- you choose which you want
• Superior one-on-one customer service
• Most intuitive data structure and fastest implementation

New features set you apart from the competition:

• Black Box Warning filters to alleviate clinician alert fatigue
• Patient education available in 19 languages

Click the links on this page to find out more about Lexi-Data now!"

Does your EHR or patient portal include patient education pamphlets? If so, how confident are you that patients receiving the materials get the information they need? For many patients, the problem may be as basic as not understanding the language that the documents are written in.

Lexicomp is a recognized leader in patient education. Their leaflets are used in over a thousand hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. Not only are the leaflets available in 19 common languages, but they are tailored specifically to adult and pediatric patients as well. There can be huge differences in dosing, warnings, and possible adverse drug events among these populations.

Lexicomp's patient education is available for integration into a wide variety of systems -- including EHRs, EMRs, HIS systems, ePrescribing systems, patient portals, consumer websites, PMSs, and more. Contact them today using the links on this page for more information!

Reports are circulating that spending on healthcare IT is set to grow at an annual rate of 24% over the next several years. This is phenomenal growth, and it's tempting to think that rising tides are going to raise everybody's boat. But with the proliferation of EHR vendors we've seen in the past couple of years, that conventional wisdom isn't likely to hold true. How do you make sure that you're one of the rising boats, and not one of the swamped ones?

Development talent is the scarcest resource right now
Among other things, this boom in healthcare IT means more competition for talented developers with healthcare-specific experience. And the influx of cash means that a few well-funded or well-positioned EHR vendors are going to reap early rewards -- and then will likely start poaching even more top talent from other vendors by offering bigger salaries and more benefits.

Your best move is to protect your IT resources by having them focus only on the most crucial parts of your system -- the parts that will differentiate you in the marketplace. Use a drug information provider with robust APIs, an intuitive data structure, and superior customer service to take the burden off your own development team so they can focus on more important tasks. One such vendor is Lexicomp, who has helped many customers get to market faster after less-than-positive experiences with other medication list vendors.

Another tactic is to forgo building your own eprescribing tool (which can take months to certify anyway), and instead use a standalone module like DoseSpot.

Meaningful Use still rules the day -- but look ahead to Stage 2 and beyond
With the government incentives now beginning to pay out, more and more practices and hospitals are pursuing Meaningful Use certification. To compete, your system will need to meet the Stage 1 requirements like drug-drug interaction checking, drug-allergy interaction checking, and distribution of patient education materials.

But it's not enough to simply check off the existing boxes. Every other EHR vendor is rushing to do the same. Instead, you need to provide value above and beyond the others. Again, a drug information vendor like Lexicomp can help you exceed Stage 1 requirements and put yourself where you need to be for Stage 2 and 3. They offer functionality like dosage range checking for both adults and pediatric patients, detailed patient education pamphlets in multiple languages, and links to some of the best drug and clinical reference services available.
 
Deploying extra features like these in your system can help make it more likely that you'll be a rising boat when the money starts pouring in.

A recent study found that 59% of all Americans now use the Internet to research health topics. With all the misinformation prevalent online, it's increasingly important to make sure that there are also good sources that can accurately and completely answer patient questions.

Lexicomp is one of the best sources for drug information that can be easily integrated into patient portals, reference sites, and other consumer health websites. Information is available covering adverse drug events, potential allergies, interactions, and more -- both for pediatrics and adults. Furthermore, Lexicomp has some of the best and most comprehensive patient education materials and pamphlets in the industry.

These patient education leaflets put complex clinical information into words that patients understand, and are used in hundreds of hospitals worldwide. Lexicomp patient education is available in up to 19 different languages, which makes it valuable for sites serving diverse populations. Make sure that patients searching for healthcare information find what they need at your site or portal -- and in the language they speak!

Stage 1 of Meaningful Use has been criticized by some as simply encouraging EMR vendors, hospitals, and physicians to "check off boxes" in order to be eligible for government incentives. These critics look at Stage 1 and ask how the hodge-podge of "requirements" (many of which are still very optional) will really lead to better patient outcomes. By all accounts, CMS and ONC intend to use Stage 2 and Stage 3 to correct that perception.

Patient education -- just one small example
One simple example of this is in patient education leaflets that are mentioned in Stage 1. These pamphlets are intended to give important information to patients to help them better manage their own health and be more informed when they visit healthcare providers. Some of the most commonly distributed patient education materials are those related to prescription drugs, and they include information on dosage precautions and administration, potential adverse drug events, allergy symptoms and so on.

It's not even required to supply patient education materials to qualify for Stage 1 -- instead, it's an optional item in a menu set. Even if providers do choose the patient education menu option, the bar is very low. Providers need only supply patient-specific materials to 10% of patients. It's easy to see how critics may find fault with this.

But beefed up requirements are on the way!
Workgroups have been hashing out details of what will be required in Stage 2, and their proposed requirements are expected later this summer. Patient education is one area they've been discussing. Published minutes and transcripts from the workgroup meetings reveal that patient education will now be required for everybody, and that the percentage of patients who receive it will be drastically increased -- up to 80%. The Stage 1 requirement was clearly just to develop the functionality. Stage 2 is where the rubber meets the road.

But that's not all yet! The workgroups are additionally talking about better and more relevant patient education. One point of discussion has been providing the materials in "common primary languages" for every metropolitan statistical area. This would require providers to have patient education available in any language that is spoken by 5% of the population they serve, or at least 1000 people in the same population -- whichever is lower. This is a big deal, and not every information vendor is in a position to deliver on this!

Lexicomp can help bridge the gap
Luckily, some vendors are. Lexicomp has long had patient education materials in many languages. At last count, they could provide up to 19 different languages commonly spoken in the United States and Canada. This is just one example of how a forward-thinking drug information vendor was able to anticipate and meet advanced requirements before they were even formulated. So when evaluating vendor partnerships for your EMR or HIS system, it's not enough to find one who can check off boxes. Instead, you need to find a vendor with the same commitment to improving patient care that ONC and CMS are seeking.

Regardless of how you refer to them, patient education pamphlets or patient education leaflets, there are soon to be some new requirements on these types of patient education materials when the new Meaningful Use Stage II requirements are released.  There is some specific language along the lines of, "Patient education materials are to be provided to the patient in their native language."  Granted, this is pretty vague, but in order to provide the best treatment and the ensure the best outcome for each patient, this makes sense.

One of our primary goals at Lexicomp is to improve patient outcomes.  From providing clinicians the tools they need to make decisions on drug therapy and treatment at the point-of-care to educating patients on the medications they are taking. This all rolls up into better outcomes and decreased costs. 

Specific to the new patient education requirements, Lexicomp is one of the only resources that provides high end patient education materials in multiple languages, 19 of the most common languages in the U.S. and Canada in fact.  These materials can be integrated into your Health Information System (Epic, for example) and can be used in your hospital's patient portal.  They are very versatile and delivered in the appropriate formats to meet multiple needs.

Several weeks ago I wrote a blog posting that included a list of drug information considerations for EMR vendors that were launching new products or looking to improve their current products.   As I wrote:

More and more EMR vendors and hospital EHR/HIS systems are attempting to improve their drug information to further enhance clinical decision support.  Below are just a few areas where having the right medicine data can make all the difference in the world.

• Drug Interaction Lists
• Adverse Drug Event Alerts
• Patient Education Pamphlets in 19 Languages
• RxNorm Mapping
• Pediatric Dosage Calculations
• Drug Allergy Interactions
• Clinical Guidelines
• Drug Interaction Software
• Drug - Drug Interactions
• Drug - Allergy interactions

There are very few drug information providers in the marketplace that have both quality data and a top notch,  customer-oriented support staff.   Cerner/Multum and  Lexicomp top the list.   Lexicomp offers  a unique blend of top quality information  coupled with the finest internal support anywhere.   Your IT guys will love you for going with Lexicomp -- a long-term partner in your road to success.

More and more EMR vendors and hospital EHR/HIS systems are attempting to improve their drug information to further enhance clinical decision support.  Below are just  a few areas where having the right  medicine data can make all the difference in the world.

• Drug Interaction Lists
• Adverse Drug Event Alerts
• Patient Education Pamphlets in 19 Languages
• RxNorm Mapping
• Pediatric Dosage Calculations
• Drug Allergy Interactions
• Clinical Guidelines
• Drug Interaction Software
• Drug - Drug Interactions
• Drug - Allergy interactions

Lexicomp is a unique blend of top quality information  coupled with the finest internal support anywhere.   Your IT guys will love you for going with Lexicomp -- a long-term partner in your road to success.

You know the old line,  "Just because I'm paranoid,  doesn't mean they aren't  after me."  Well,  the same holds true for my assessment of integrating drug data and medicine data into EMRs,  EHRs,  HISs,  etc.   I  guess,  I would say it like this,  "Ok,  I admit I'm biased,  but that doesn't mean I am wrong."   Biased about what?   That Lexicomp,  a recent arrival in the drug data marketplace, is growing fast based on its quality of data,  quality of support,  quality of data structure,  and affordable pricing.

We are in a fast changing marketplace,  which makes the advantages of Lexicomp even more pronounced.  As I said several months ago in one of my posts:

"America is a great country.  I wouldn't be surprised if there were more EMRs  (and related systems)  in development in the United States than the rest of the world combined.  Cultural and marketplace paroxysms create stress and discomfort,  and at the same time result in major breakthroughs and great new products.   That is what is going on this country,  day by day.  The great scramble is on.  There is much pressure to do things quickly and get to the market rapidly before the doors begin closing."

Does the drug information you're using provide only the bare-bones basics, or will they provide access to enhanced functionality like:

• Drug Interaction Lists
• Adverse Drug Event Alerts
• Patient Education Pamphlets in 19 Languages
• RxNorm Mapping
• Pediatric Dosage Calculations
• Drug Allergy Interactions
• Clinical Guidelines

Lexicomp will work you and be a partner in your efforts for growth and success.

As I was musing over what to write in this week's clinical decision support blog post, I recalled a post I wanted to write months ago but somehow never found time to.  So, I'm bringing it out now, a little bit late, but still very relevant.

 I'm a big fan of Johnny Cash.  From his earliest work to his last few "American" recordings, his voice and music have an ethereal, timeless, and somewhat haunted quality that manage to connect and appeal to millions.
 

• Drug Interaction Lists
• Adverse Drug Event Alerts
• Patient Education Pamphlets in 19 Languages
• RxNorm Mapping
• Pediatric Dosage Calculations
• Drug Allergy Interactions
• Clinical Guidelines

Will they work with you as partners, to help you through integration, data structure issues, and making sure your system integrity is never compromised, like Lexicomp?  Or will they sell you their data and walk away?  

As an EHR vendor, you can't afford anything less than perfect alignment between your system and the information that ties into it.   We'll help you make certain that you're combining the best aspects of each and ensure that the output is far greater than the sum of the inputs.  So why not spend a few minutes getting to know Lexicomp?