The fight against opioid abuse just got quicker, easier and considerably cheaper thanks to the work of a North Carolina physician group.
Cary-based Smartlink Health Solutions' Smartlink Data Connector is a liaison between doctors' offices and the state's prescription drug monitoring program database. Data Connector, now in its third-generation iteration, exchanges patient data bidirectionally via user interface from virtually any source, according to a company press release.
Data Connector ensures prescribers don't ignore state requirements to check prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) databases before prescribing opioids. In the past, this requirement was inefficient and costly to integrate between patients' electronic health records and state files, Smartlink stated in its release. Now, providers like Chapel Hill's Piedmont Healthcare, the first clinic to utilize the technology, are able to exchange data between four different IT systems.
Smartlink Data Connector auto-checks the PDMP based on daily patient scheduling. Its 24/7 scouring automatically deposits actionable data into patients' charts. Previously, medical staff manually searched several databases to comply.
Data Connector drops risk scores into patient health reports if a match is found in the PDMP. During a doctor's visit or on a trip to the emergency room, a physician can quickly make an informed decision before prescribing pain killers.
So far, Piedmont Healthcare reports improved compliance with state law and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; enhanced administrative efficiency; the virtual elimination of human error; and a reduction in paper consumption by one-third, the press release states.
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