Wolters Kluwer to Showcase its Decision Support Solution for Improving Sepsis Outcomes at HIMSS16

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Health division of Wolters Kluwer, a leading global provider of information and point of care solutions for the healthcare industry, will showcase its cloud-based decision support platform for the improved diagnosis and treatment of sepsis in Booth #5537 at the HIMSS16 Conference & Exhibition. POC Advisor™, which reduced sepsis mortality by 53 percent at Huntsville Hospital, integrates and functions seamlessly with the clinical workflow, leveraging electronic alerts and patient-specific, evidence-based treatment advice to drive down sepsis rates.

In December 2015, Halifax Health, East Central Florida’s largest healthcare provider, decided to partner with Wolters Kluwer to adopt POC Advisor into its clinical workflow. Halifax, home to Florida’s largest emergency department (ED) with more than 116,000 emergency visits annually, will be the first to adopt POC Advisor for use in the ED.

“Administering early treatment is imperative to surviving sepsis; however, a number of other conditions present with similar symptoms, which makes diagnosis at the onset challenging.” said Zabrina Evens, M.D., Sepsis BPCI Medical Director for Halifax Health. “For example, in an emergency environment, especially one with a patient population as large as ours, it’s extremely difficult for clinicians to scrutinize the data necessary for early identification for every patient. Partnering with Wolters Kluwer provides our staff with the best opportunity to improve sepsis care and save patients’ lives.”

Sepsis is the deadliest condition treated in hospital critical care units, claiming approximately 258,000 lives in U.S. hospitals every year. At an estimated $20 billion annually, it is also the country’s most expensive condition to treat. The risk of death increases every hour sepsis goes untreated, making early identification crucial to improving outcomes.

POC Advisor uses automated, real-time surveillance that aggregates, normalizes and analyzes patient data from disparate clinical systems to deliver early sepsis alerts and treatment advice to clinicians via mobile devices and clinical portals. With hundreds of rules built into the platform to account for variables specific to individual patients, including comorbidities and medication abnormalities, POC Advisor ensures that alerts are both highly sensitive and specific.

“Diagnosing and treating sepsis is a formidable challenge for providers, especially at a time when clinicians’ responsibilities continue to become increasingly complex and demanding. POC Advisor leverages patient data within the EHR, using real-time analytics and delivering highly accurate alerts and medical advice directly to the point of care without disrupting the clinical workflow,” said David A. Del Toro, President & CEO of Clinical Software Solutions at Wolters Kluwer. “POC Advisor exemplifies our commitment to improving the quality of care by providing latest tools and medical evidence to save lives.”

For a demonstration of POC Advisor, visit the Wolters Kluwer (Booth #5537) at the HIMSS16, taking place February 29-March 4 in Las Vegas.