Evidence-based clinical support helps deliver efficient, effective care Mohammad Dossary Hospital (MDH) is a bustling healthcare institution that provides safe, efficient, high quality care to 1,600 patients each day – more than 307,288 patients each year.
Located in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia, this 100-bed capacity hospital is operated by Sariryah Medical Company, which has been registered under the Saudi
Ministry of Health and Commerce since 2000 and has been accredited by the Central Board for Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions (CBAHI) since 2015.
Sariryah’s mission is to provide safe medical care for patients by hiring competent
staff, practicing evidence-based medicine, and investing in state-of-the-art technology. To help its staff leverage the latest available best practices and research at the point of care, Sariryah invested in the Wolters Kluwer evidence-based solutions UpToDate®, Lexicomp®, and Medi-Span®. More recently, the organisation also adopted UpToDate® Advanced, an interactive clinical decision support resource.
Mr. Salem Al-Thaqafi, the Vice Chairman of Sariryah Medical Company, said: “We decided to adopt the full suite of Wolters Kluwer solutions across the hospital to help ensure that all of our clinical teams are working to consistently achieve high standards of care and follow best practice guidelines. We want clinicians to have access to up-to-date information at the point of care so they can make the best decisions for patients.”
Less time researching, more time helping patients
MDH receives around 1,600 patients daily. Due to this high demand, continuously modernizing the hospital and adopting the most advanced technology are crucial to maximizing its operational efficiency.
Clinical decision support resources including UpToDate and Lexicomp put the
latest evidence and expert recommendations in the hands of clinicians when and
where they need it. This reduces time spent researching to determine the best
course of action, empowering staff to focus on what matters most – patients.
Integrating Medi-Span drug screening into the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) automates prescribing processes, raising operational efficiency, and reducing drug errors.
Sariryah is unique in its approach in enhancing efficiency as all three Wolters Kluwer evidence-based solutions – UpToDate, Medi-Span, and Lexicomp – are integrated
into the clinical workflow, which means that they can be accessed quickly and easily via the EMR, saving clinicians’ time.
UpToDate – the evidence-based resource that medical professionals trust
UpToDate incorporates the editorial rigor and clinical domain expertise of more than 7,300 physician authors, editors and peer reviewers, with over 12,000 topics in 25 specialties. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists use UpToDate to diagnose, treat and
educate patients.
By using UpToDate to further their knowledge, clinicians also stay aligned with the latest available evidence and best practices. They collect CME points within UpToDate as evidence of their continuous learning and ongoing medical education.
UpToDate is an invaluable tool that helps clinicians provide the best possible care and outcomes for patients. They trust UpToDate to give them expert guidance and recommendations, particularly when evidence is scarce or unclear.
UpToDate Advanced – a new generation of clinical decision support – is the latest Wolters Kluwer solution in the hospital’s technology portfolio. The interactive guidelines within UpToDate Advanced help busy users make faster, safer decisions on topics that generate many clinical questions. The Lab Interpretation module helps clinicians understand the best way to proceed upon receiving patients’ lab test results. The decisions made can be saved into the EMR for patient history and auditing purposes.
Lexicomp drug information helps reduce medication errors
With an increasing volume of drug information and complexities arising from polypharmacy, it is impossible for clinicians to remember everything they need to
know, or even to spend time researching information. Lexicomp gives pharmacists,
doctors, and nurses at MDH access to the latest drug information, including potential adverse reactions, interactions, and patient education materials.
Lexicomp enables users to quickly obtain all the information they need to prescribe and administer drugs while maintaining the highest levels of patient safety.
Medi-Span embedded drug screening increases efficiency and reduces alert fatigue
Innovation and technology adoption are top priorities for Sariryah, given that they
support the institution’s strategic aim to deliver high quality, cost-effective, and efficient care.
As part of the company’s digitisation strategy, the organisation required a drug
screening solution that could be integrated into its EMR. The hospital selected Medi-Span, which automatically screens drug information against patient data to identify potential medication errors.
Medi-Span has also helped increase departmental efficiency and freed up pharmacists to focus on other activities. The Medi-Span ‘command center’ has allowed MDH to create sophisticated personalised alert systems, eliminate unnecessary alerts,
and reduce alert fatigue.
Sariryah recognises the great impact UpToDate has had in MDH by supporting our doctors to make the right medical decisions. UpToDate has helped Sariryah to achieve its aim of providing comprehensive and integrated medical care for patients and their relatives, as well as delivering services that maintain and improve the health of our society.
— Mr. Salem Al-Thaqafi, Vice Chairman, Sariryah Medical Company
Easy access to clinical information, when and where it’s needed
Clinicians at MDH can access UpToDate and Lexicomp via the hospital EMR, a laptop, or a portable device, making the resources ideal to use on the move – whether in a clinic, a ward, or a training room.
According to Mr. Al-Thaqafi: “Clinical teams have expressed overwhelming support and positive feedback for the solutions. They give confidence and validation to clinicians that they are making the best decisions for patients, which are supported by the latest evidence and best practice.”
Regular training and ongoing support ensure that clinicians know how to leverage UpToDate, Medi-Span, Lexicomp, and UpToDate Advanced. Training ensures clinicians can take advantage of the latest available developments and tools to deliver efficient, high quality care.
Providing the best possible care during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, UpToDate, and Lexicomp were the trusted ‘go-to’ resources for clinicians who needed access to the latest evidences and guidance to help them care for patients.
Mr. Al-Thaqafi continued: “People had many questions related to COVID-19 and
these resources made it possible to answer all questions related to their medical case. As a result of the pandemic, we also provided a tele-medicine service to answer and communicate with our patients. In some cases, patients had high levels of anxiety because they could not come to the hospital; hence, the use of this tool has helped doctors and the medical staff to communicate effectively online and provide apt medical advice.
“We would absolutely recommend UpToDate, Lexicomp, Medi-Span to any hospital looking for evidence-based solutions associated with improved patient outcomes, increased efficiency and enhanced provision of exceptional care. Giving our teams access to the clinical information, which they need along the patient path these, I’m confident that we will continue to use these tools in all hospitals and medical facilities that we manage and will manage in the future.”
