What You Should Know:
– MultiCare Health System, a large healthcare network in Tacoma, Washington, has partnered with IllumiCare to integrate its clinical decision support (CDS) solution directly into its Epic electronic health record (EHR) system.
– The integration provides clinicians with real-time recommendations at the point of care, helping them make more informed decisions about medications, lab tests, and imaging studies.
Targeting Inefficiencies in Healthcare Delivery
Clinical waste takes many forms in healthcare, including:
- Unnecessary or redundant tests and procedures: Ordering repetitive lab tests or duplicate imaging studies.
- Inappropriate medication prescribing: Prescribing expensive medications when equally effective, more affordable alternatives are available.
- Inefficient workflows: Processes that lead to delays in care or unnecessary resource utilization.
IllumiCare’s CDS solution addresses these inefficiencies by providing clinicians with evidence-based recommendations directly within their workflow. This helps them avoid unnecessary costs and improve the quality of care.
Significant Results at MultiCare Health System
MultiCare has achieved impressive results with IllumiCare’s CDS integration:
- High acceptance rate: Clinicians have accepted 26% of the recommendations provided by the system, exceeding national averages.
- Reduced medication costs: The acceptance rate for medication recommendations is 23%, leading to significant cost savings.
- Fewer unnecessary lab tests: The acceptance rate for lab order recommendations is 36%, reducing unnecessary testing and improving efficiency.
IllumiCare’s real-time analytics revealed that 82% of intravenous sodium bicarbonate use at MultiCare lacked clinical necessity. This unnecessary use costs the hospital $153 per dose, contributing to significant avoidable spending. By providing clinicians with real-time guidance, IllumiCare helped reduce inappropriate use and optimize costs.
Expanding the Program for Continued Improvement
Building on its success, MultiCare is expanding its use of IllumiCare’s CDS solution to include more users and additional clinical categories, such as radiology. This expansion will further enhance the system’s ability to reduce clinical waste and improve care efficiency.
“Reducing clinical waste benefits the healthcare system by doing more than simply saving money—it’s optimizing care delivery and reducing inefficiencies that offer no added value,” said G.T. LaBorde, CEO of IllumiCare. “By equipping providers with actionable data in real-time, we’re helping them make decisions that benefit both their patients and their hospitals’ bottom lines.”
