Hospital Management

Daily Newsletter

10 August 2023

Daily Newsletter

DrFirst Healthcare Innovations has partnered with US-based healthcare company MEDITECH to offer electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) services in Canada.

The two companies will provide e-prescribing capabilities through the Expanse Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.

The partnership aims to 'transform' prescription workflows and enhance patient care.

It supports MEDITECH's plans with Canada Health Infoway to connect with its national e-prescribing service, PrescribeIT.

E-prescribing is intended to reduce the scope for errors and fraud, as well as save time for patients and healthcare professionals.

DrFirst Healthcare Innovations CEO Cameron Deemer said: "E-prescribing is safer for patients and more efficient for prescribers and pharmacists.

"We have a long history of working with MEDITECH, and we are thrilled to collaborate on this initiative to introduce e-prescribing and accelerate its adoption in Canada to benefit patients, hospitals and pharmacies."

DrFirst Healthcare Innovations said its experience of providing medication management solutions to US hospitals will contribute to PrescribeIT's mission of modernising prescription processes.

The company's solutions are used by more than 260,000 prescribers, 71,000 pharmacies, 300 EHRs and health information systems and 2,000 hospitals across the US and Canada.

Earlier this year, MEDITECH announced that Humber River Health in Toronto, Canada, would be the company's first hospital to implement PrescribeIT® within the Expanse EHR.

The hospital is expected to begin using the technology later this year.

MEDITECH Canadian Market and Product Strategy director Robert Molloy said: "This integration with DrFirst Healthcare Innovations will further our collaboration with Canada Health Infoway and PrescribeIT and ultimately provides safer and more efficient healthcare delivery, as well as greater convenience for patients."

PrescribeIT executive vice-president Jamie Bruce said: "The partnership between MEDITECH and DrFirst marks a significant step forward in PrescribeIT's mission to transform how prescriptions are sent and received.

"This collaboration will enhance patient care, streamline workflows, and empower healthcare professionals with a seamless and secure prescribing experience."

Healthcare companies are hesitant to invest in the metaverse

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the healthcare industry to rapid digitalization. Increased use of telehealth, telepresence systems, remote diagnostics, predictive AI, and wearable technology is changing how healthcare is delivered and improving patient outcomes. Emerging technologies such as AR and VR are becoming increasingly routine for professional training, surgical assistance, and treatment of psychological and neurological disorders. In the pharma and medical devices industries, AR, VR, and AI are rapidly accelerating drug discovery and manufacturing and generating supply chain efficiencies. New digital opportunities will look to build upon disruptive technologies. However, affordability is a limiting factor to widespread adoption. Per GlobalData estimates, the metaverse market is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 33% between 2023 and 2030. Although metaverse technologies could reinvent healthcare approaches and bring new experiences to healthcare providers and patients, adoption is still at an early stage. There are currently few use cases in the healthcare industry. The metaverse needs to overcome major challenges for healthcare, including regulation and data privacy concerns. Evidence of proven use cases and participation by a critical mass of users are imperative to drive a shift in metaverse investment.