Thomson, a leading provider of clinical and management decision support solutions to healthcare professionals, announced the launch of Thomson Clinical Xpert⢠for PDAs. A powerful new medical reference and decision-support tool, Thomson Clinical Xpert puts authoritative drug, disease and laboratory information instantly into the hands of physicians and other prescribers, nurses, pharmacists, and clinical trainees, helping them to make important decisions at the point of care, and reducing the chances of medical errors.
The launch of this new application, which will help address quality and safety issues such as drug interactions, comes at a time when medical errors and patient safety continue to be a national concern â one underscored by a recent report from the Institute of Medicine that noted medication errors alone still harm 1.5 million patients per year.
Whether in the hospital or a medical office, Thomson Clinical Xpert enhances healthcare professionals' ability to make the right decisions quickly, helping to avoid errors and improve the quality of care. Thomson, known and trusted by healthcare professionals as the company that produces the Physicians' Desk Reference® (PDR), developed Thomson Clinical Xpert to give healthcare professionals fast, convenient access to the evidence-based information they need to support or confirm diagnosis and treatment decisions. This release extends the commitment of Thomson to help improve medication safety wherever it is needed. Future Thomson Clinical Xpert releases will feature desktop and online access to additional workflow tools for medication reconciliation, pharmacy intervention and reporting, coding compliance and executable order sets.
Dr. Jerry Osheroff, chief clinical informatics officer at Thomson and lead author of the American Medical Informatics Association Roadmap for National Action on Clinical Decision Support, said Thomson Clinical Xpert will be a useful tool in efforts to improve the safety and quality of healthcare. "We know that clinicians are committed to eliminating errors and ensuring the most effective care for their patients," he said. "Thomson Clinical Xpert improves point-of-care access to consistent, authoritative medical knowledge for all those who play a direct role in patient care, reducing the risk of medical errors. The ultimate beneficiary is, of course, the patient."
Thomson Clinical Xpert features premium content from Thomson Micromedex, one of the most respected providers of evidence-based clinical information. Experienced physicians, pharmacists, toxicologists, nurses and other healthcare professionals at Micromedex develop and review Thomson Clinical Xpert content, giving clinicians information of unparalleled authority and accuracy, including:
- A searchable database of more than 4,000 drugs with comprehensive indications, dosage and interactions information
- Details on more than 400 laboratory tests and their interpretations
- Toxicology reports on more than 200 of the most common poisons and drug overdoses
- A comprehensive disease database that offers differential diagnoses, therapeutics and evidence-based recommendation ratings
- Detailed information about alternative medicines
Thomson Clinical Xpert also features drug interaction tools, convenient medical calculators and "Xpert Alerts"â electronic advisories regarding key drug changes or treatment studies delivered directly to users PDA, desktop or PDR.net account.
Delaware family practitioner John Hale, M.D., said he uses Thomson Clinical Xpert on a daily basis to look up dosages, maximum dosages and drug interactions. "I use my PDA in the exam room without having to leave the room, or the discussion to look up pertinent information," he noted. "I also have used the lab and diagnosis sections while making rounds in the hospital. Having a library like this in my pocket PC is a real time saver."
Osheroff noted that a 2005 study found that more than 87 percent of physicians reported using PDAs, and as many as 50 percent say they frequently refer to PDA-stored clinical information. "As more and more clinicians rely on PDAs, combining the convenience of a PDA with comprehensive, accurate medical information provided by a trusted source such Thomson is going to be an invaluable tool to support clinical practice," he said.
For further information, please visit: www.thomsonclinicalxpert.com
About The Thomson Corporation
The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com) is a global leader in providing essential electronic workflow solutions to business and professional customers. With operational headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Thomson provides value-added information, software tools and applications to more than 20 million users in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, scientific research and healthcare. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC; TSX: TOC).