Epocrates Solutions Used Frequently for Significant Impact
SAN MATEO, Calif., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- A new study shows that
physicians are successfully using personal digital assistants (PDAs) with
decision support software to improve the practice of medicine. Researchers at
Brigham and Women's Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School,
found that physicians believe Epocrates products help improve patient safety
and care on a daily basis.
Preliminary study results, recently presented at the American Medical
Informatics Association's 2005 Annual Symposium in Washington, D.C., found
that physicians reported using Epocrates clinical reference products five
times a day to review dosing, drug interactions and disease diagnosis and
treatment recommendations. More than 60 percent of physicians reported that
using the Epocrates Rx(R) drug reference reduced the likelihood of an adverse
drug event or medication error three or more times a month. Additionally,
respondents reported that the use of the Epocrates Dx(R) disease reference and
Epocrates ID(R) infectious disease treatment guide help improve the quality
and delivery of patient care beyond the drug reference.
"The preliminary survey data and usage patterns are encouraging because it
demonstrates that physicians are proactively employing a solution they believe
improves patient safety," said Jeffrey M. Rothschild MD, MPH, Brigham and
Women's Hospital in Boston. "The results show that physicians value the
benefits and the depth of clinical resources and information that PDA-based
medical applications such as Epocrates provides in their practice."
The study also found that clinicians use Epocrates to stay current with
the latest clinical research and information, which is a key factor in
delivering optimal patient care. The respondents rated Epocrates DocAlerts(R),
timely news and clinical messages delivered to their PDA, as a valuable way to
keep up-to-date on public health warnings, drug recall alerts and new patient
safety information.
"The study results support what many of our customers already believe --
patients are directly benefiting from their routine use of our reference
applications, DocAlert messages and mobile medical education," said
Edward Fang, MD, editor-in-chief for Epocrates. "We have seen more and more
clinicians embracing medical decision-support software over the last few
years, and we will continue to develop products that support their goal of
providing the best patient care."
The 1,500 physician respondents were an average of 47-years-old and have
used Epocrates products for approximately four years, indicating that seasoned
physicians have embraced the benefits of mobile medical technology.
Furthermore, nearly 40 percent of respondents use their PDAs for at least half
of their patient encounters, indicating that handheld clinical references are
now an integral part of physicians' workflow.
"Epocrates helps me and my colleagues take better care of our patients.
With the concise information in Epocrates, I can quickly and confidently
arrive at diagnoses, set treatment plans, educate my patients and get them on
their way," said Paul Wein, MD, Beth Israel Medical Center.
The study, a follow-up to a 2001 Brigham and Women's evaluation of
Epocrates Rx free drug reference, show that physicians continue to value the
benefits of using PDAs in their practice.
ABOUT EPOCRATES, INC.
San Mateo, CA-based Epocrates is transforming the practice of medicine by
providing innovative clinical solutions at the point of care and deploying
leading-edge technologies that enable communication. The company has built a
clinical network connecting nearly 500,000 healthcare professionals, including
one in four U.S. physicians and one in two U.S. medical students, with other
healthcare stakeholders. Epocrates' products have shown a positive impact on
patient safety, healthcare efficiency and patient satisfaction. Epocrates was
recently ranked 257 in the 24th annual Inc.500 ranking of the fastest-growing
private companies in the country. For more information about Epocrates, please
visit http://www.epocrates.com.
SOURCE Epocrates, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.epocrates.com
CONTACT:
Erica Sniad of Epocrates, Inc.,
+1-650-227-6907, or pr@epocrates.com
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