Hackensack University Medical Center Deploys Thomson Reuters NeoFax Online for Electronic Neonatal Drug Dosing Calculations

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May 26, 2010, 01:00 ET

ANN ARBOR, Mich., May 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Hackensack University Medical Center has deployed Thomson Reuters (NYSE: TRI) NeoFax® Online to provide physicians, nurses, and pharmacy staff in its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with electronic, evidence-based drug information.

NeoFax Online delivers neonatal reference information, enables clinicians to check on potential drug interactions, delivers, and provides dosing calculations that account for infants' ever-changing weight.

Hackensack University Medical Center is a 775-bed academic medical center serving northern New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area. It operates a 40-bed, level-III NICU providing care to infants with severe prematurity and respiratory, gastrointestinal or cardiac anomalies.

The hospital deployed the electronic version of NeoFax to reduce the chance of medication errors.

"Prior to deployment, the physicians, pharmacy and nursing staff relied upon a book for dosing and drug information. Not everyone had a book, so it was time consuming to find a book, locate the information and get back to the bedside," said Nilesh Desai, assistant director of the medical center's Pharmacy Department.

"With NeoFax Online, we have the most recent neonatal reference information available and it is just a click away," Desai said. "We don't have to wait for the next book edition for updates, so we avoid potential medication errors. We can also easily check the patient chart, check the patient's gestational age and the dosing, and administer."

The NICU's new workflow eliminates several steps that can lead to medication errors and NeoFax Online assists with the hospital's ongoing infection control initiative. Books are difficult to clean and can carry and transfer infections. Removing contact with a book during the administration of medication eliminates this potential source of infection within the NICU.

About Thomson Reuters

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. We combine industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare and science and media markets, powered by the world's most trusted news organization. With headquarters in New York and major operations in London and Eagan, Minnesota, Thomson Reuters employs 55,000 people and operates in over 100 countries. For more information, go to www.thomsonreuters.com.

About Hackensack University Medical Center

Hackensack University Medical Center is a nationally recognized healthcare organization offering patients the most comprehensive services, state-of-the art technologies, and facilities. A leader in providing the highest quality patient-centered care, the medical center has been recognized for performance excellence encompassing the entire spectrum of hospital quality and service issues. These honors include being named one of America's 50 Best Hospitals by HealthGrades for four years in a row. HUMC is the only hospital in New Jersey, New York, and New England to receive this honor. The medical center has also been recognized by J.D. Power and Associates for providing an outstanding patient experience in inpatient, outpatient, cardiac, emergency, and maternity services.

SOURCE Thomson Reuters