WILKES-BARRE, PENN., MARCH 30, 2005
Blue Cross Provides 500 Physicians with High-Tech Tool Capable of Reducing Medical Errors and Drug Costs
A small handheld device may lead to big improvements in patient care when Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania begins distributing 250 handheld computers to physicians in an effort to improve patient safety and to reduce prescription drug costs.
The personal digital assistants (PDAs) are powered by the industry-leading Epocrates Essentials mobile clinical reference suite. Blue Cross will provide an additional 250 subscriptions to physicians who already have PDAs, giving them instant access to the Essentials suite that includes all of the key decision support applications—drugs, diseases, and diagnostics—required for today’s health care professional, seamlessly integrated at the point-of-care.
The Blue Cross list of covered drugs is available through the Epocrates mobile drug references designed for the Palm OS and Pocket PC platforms and through the Epocrates Rx Online reference available for Internet-connected desktop computers. All Epocrates products are easily downloadable via the Internet and are currently used by over 28 percent of Pennsylvania physicians.
Using one feature of the Epocrates Essentials suite, providers can easily check formulary status, prior authorization requirements, alternatives, generic substitutes and quantity limits. Overall, Essentials includes over 3,500 drug monographs, along with adult and pediatric dosing, contraindications and cautions and adverse reactions, and the MultiCheck function capable of checking up to 30 drugs simultaneously for interactions; an infectious disease treatment guide; 1,200 conditions and diagnoses described in extensive detail, with signs and symptoms, differential diagnoses, quick treatment reminders and more; and a lab reference covering hundreds of diagnostic tests and panels including information on collection, preparation and cautions, interpretation (disease, drug and spurious causes) and follow-up guidelines.
“Our investment in putting clinical information at the point of patient care signals Blue Cross’ commitment to delivering quality patient outcomes for the people we serve,” said Denise S. Cesare, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania President and CEO. “This effort will make it easier for physicians to prescribe the most appropriate prescription medications to all patients. It also will help patients by reducing their chances of experiencing adverse drug interactions.”
Ms. Cesare said making formulary and clinical information easily accessible promotes better use of scarce medical resources. She said accurate information available at the point of service reduces medical care costs by making physicians’ offices more efficient, and by avoiding unnecessary treatments and complications.
“Medical and pharmacological advances are occurring at a breathtaking pace,” said Ms. Cesare. “Modern information technology is a very effective way of keeping up with them.”
Blue Cross’ PDA initiative goes to the heart of an ongoing debate over patient safety. A landmark study by the National Institute of Medicine determined that as many as 98,000 people die every year due to medical errors. Another study by the Milwaukee County Medical Society claimed 7,000 people die annually due to adverse drug reactions nationwide. Experts also estimate that adverse drug interactions cost the country more than $100 billion every year in unnecessary medical expenses.
“Adverse drug interactions are a constant concern among prescribing physicians,” said Frank Koronkiewicz, Blue Cross Pharmacy Director. “For a small investment we can effect immediate and long-lasting improvements.”
A study by Brigham and Women’s Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School, found that 50 percent of physicians and medical students using Epocrates technology reported avoiding one or more adverse drug events per week.
About Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania
Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania, an independent licensee of the Blue
Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care company headquartered
in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. It offers a comprehensive portfolio of health
insurance products and administrative services to approximately 600,000 individuals
in 13 counties.
CONTACT: Gerry Snyder Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania PHONE: (570) 200-6310 E-MAIL: gerard.snyder@bcnepa.com WEB: www.bcnepa.com Erica Sniad Morgenstern Epocrates Public Relations PHONE: (650) 227-6907 E-MAIL: pr@epocrates.com WEB: www.epocrates.com