Drug monitoring platform to help Maryland combat opioids

The State of Maryland is getting new software to collect information about controlled substances dispensed in the state to facilitate better data sharing.

The RxGov prescription drug monitoring platform, from NIC, provides near real-time data that will integrate with the Chesapeake Regional Information System for our Patients (CRISP), the state health information exchange. Data also will be delivered directly into electronic health record systems at hospitals and ambulatory sites statewide to foster care coordination among clinicians and other ancillary services.

The platform also will aid in prevention of high-risk behaviors, such as situations where patients repeatedly attempt to get multiple prescriptions within a short period from several providers.

“The prescription opioid epidemic is a national crisis and communities across Maryland and our neighboring states have been deeply impacted," says Lindsey Ferris, program director for CRISP. Other states NIC is working with include Montana, Wisconsin and Utah.



Here are other health IT contract wins and go-lives reported this week.

* Four behavioral health providers working with Vermont Care Partners, a statewide network of 16 community agencies providing mental health, substance abuse and intellectual and developmental disability services, have selected Netsmart to build a unified technology platform.

To prepare for value-based care, the providers—Lamoille County Mental Health Services, Northwestern Counseling and Support Services, United Counseling Services of Bennington and Washington County Mental Health Services, will use the platform to integrate with other providers, establish common workflows and measure outcomes. The status of other members of Vermont Care Partners also working with the vendor is not yet known. The initial users will use a common electronic health record that will cover most of the state. Members also will have access to an analytics platform from Netsmart.

* Boys Town National Research Hospital, with two campuses in Nebraska, recently signed to implement Meditech’s Expanse web-based electronic health record. Boys Town focuses on researching childhood deafness, language development and related communication disorders. The organization cited integrated web utilities in the EHR as well as superior revenue cycle and contract management software, and a behavioral health platform in their decision to select Meditech. “Having all of our data on one system will improve scheduling, clinic workflows and access to patient information for our providers,” says Ann Ducey, chief information officer.

* Northeastern Health System in Tahlequah, Okla., recently signed for the IntelliGuide financial advocacy and patient eligibility software from PatientMatters to improve patient access to public financial medical benefits and overall operational efficiency. The software helps providers offer highly personalized financial solutions to help patients get insured.

* Remi Vista, a five-site behavioral health delivery system serving Northern California, has selected Cerner's community behavioral health electronic record system on a cloud platform. “With the goal of giving individuals the support they need to continue on their paths toward personal meaning and wholeness, we needed to establish a relationship that advances our health care technology capabilities to properly serve the people that count on us,” says Stephanie Holmes, CEO at Remi Vista.