Triad HealthCare Network Harnesses Medication Data to Improve Outcomes for High-Risk Patients

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Dec 13, 2022, 08:00 ET

DrFirst's MedHx PRM Provides Quick Access to Prescription Fill Information So Healthcare Providers Can Intervene Early to Prevent Readmissions and Optimize Outcomes

GREENSBORO, N.C. and ROCKVILLE, Md., Dec. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Triad HealthCare Network, a provider-led accountable care organization (ACO), and health technology pioneer DrFirst today announced an initiative to improve medication adherence among high-risk patient populations across five counties in North Carolina. Fast access to prescription fill data will empower providers to identify patients with chronic conditions who may not be taking their medications as prescribed and intervene early to alleviate barriers to adherence that can lead to gaps in care, poor outcomes, and hospital readmissions.

Every year, medication non-adherence due to factors such as cost, access, coverage status, dosage complexity, or concerns about side effects causes about 125,000 deaths. In addition to needless human suffering, it costs nearly $250 billion to the U.S. healthcare system. Giving providers access to up-to-date prescription fill data can lead to better adherence and shed light on other health-related issues, which creates an opportunity for providers to enhance patient care.

"Since patients' medication records are typically fragmented across the care continuum, our clinicians are excited about DrFirst's ability to provide current, comprehensive, and easy-to-access medication history, which will enhance our ability to deliver the right care at the right time. This ability is especially important among patients at high risk of complications, such as those with diabetes or congestive heart failure," said Hanna Park, PharmD, Executive Director of Value-based Performance at Triad HealthCare Network. "In addition, we will be able to further improve care coordination and prevent avoidable admissions and emergency visits due to medication issues."

MedHx PRM is based on DrFirst's award-winning MedHx, which streamlines medication reconciliation workflows by providing the most accurate and clinically actionable medication history for individual patients at hospital admission and in the emergency department. For population risk management, MedHx PRM expands prescription fill data to a population of patients to enable risk stratification and easy identification of those who would benefit from early and targeted care interventions. Using clinical analytics, care managers can create panels of high-risk patients or import them from an electronic health record (EHR) system and then easily identify those who are not adhering to medication therapies. In particular, ACOs need access to timely and accurate data to ensure patients get appropriate care while avoiding unnecessary duplication of services and preventing medical errors.

"For ACOs to deliver on their promise of coordinated patient care, they need to gather clinical data from multiple systems and structure it in a way that makes it useful for clinicians," said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst. "Triad HealthCare Network is the first ACO to use MedHx PRM to collect medication data from payers, prescription benefit managers, and EHRs. By pulling thousands of de-duplicated patient medication histories automatically and quickly—usually within hours rather than months—clinicians can meaningfully intervene with patients before they end up back in their local hospital's emergency department." 

About Triad HealthCare Network
Triad HealthCare Network (THN) is a provider-led accountable care organization located in Greensboro, North Carolina. It serves nearly 200,000 people in Alamance, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham, and part of Forsyth counties. THN is sponsored by Cone Health and is governed and operated by a board of managers and a physician-led operating committee. We believe by working together, our network can provide the right care, at the right place, at the right time.

About DrFirst
Since 2000, DrFirst has pioneered healthcare technology solutions and consulting services that securely connect people at touchpoints of care to improve patient outcomes. We create unconventional solutions that solve care collaboration, medication management, price transparency, and adherence challenges faced in healthcare. We unite the Healthiverse—the interconnected healthcare universe—by providing our clients with real-time access to the information they need, exactly when and how they need it, so patients get the best care possible. DrFirst solutions are used by nearly 325,000 healthcare professionals, including 220,000 prescribers, 70,000 pharmacies, 300 EHRs and health information systems, and 1,500 hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. To learn more, visit www.DrFirst.com and follow @DrFirst.

Media Contact
Katlyn Nesvold
Amendola Communications for DrFirst
715-559-0046
[email protected]

SOURCE DrFirst