EvidenceCare and The American College of Emergency Physicians Launch COVID-19 Severity Classification for Emergency Physicians

Aug 18, 2020 at 02:07 pm by Staff


EvidenceCare, a leading provider of advanced clinical decision support technology, along with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) announced the release of a clinical pathway to assist emergency departments (ED) deliver better care to patients with the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19).

The collaborative included clinicians on the frontlines of treating patients during this pandemic with the goal of bringing meaningful tools into their EHR workflow.

In early April, EvidenceCare announced the release of a free web solution to help clinicians in the trenches diagnose and treat COVID-19. The system is available to hospital systems, emergency department providers, urgent care companies, and telehealth providers around the world. With this additional clinical pathway, emergency physicians are able to better determine the appropriate evaluation and disposition for adult patients with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The clinical content for the COVID-19 Severity Classification Pathway is available to the public at www.evidence.care/covid-19/. An EHR-integrated version is also available and hospitals should info@evidence.care for more information.

The pathway classifies patients on a range from mild/low risk to critical based on an assessment of the patient's vital signs, symptoms, pre-existing medical conditions, and diagnostic testing such as x-rays and labs. By having access to this tool, emergency physicians are able to recommend the best treatment plan for each patient they treat.

"As patients present with varying symptoms and severity of COVID-19, it is more important than ever to arm our frontline caregivers with the tools they need," said Dr. Brian Fengler, chief executive officer and co-founder of EvidenceCare.

The collaborative project was initiated from a grassroots effort of healthcare experts (a list of participants is available in the pathway) who desire to promote interoperable healthcare IT standards and accelerate knowledge translation from the research bench into clinical practice. "We ended up working in parallel channels on this. While the clinical team was curating the evidence to create the pathway, another team was developing it into a version that is executable in the EHR", says Dr. Fengler. "We were able to accomplish advances in interoperability in four months, what would traditionally take 4 years!"

"COVID-19 presents a significant challenge to emergency physicians and having access to clear and concise steps to triage this condition will enable them to provide the best possible care," said Sandy Schneider, MD, FACEP, associate executive director for clinical affairs, ACEP. "We are proud to work with EvidenceCare and leading clinicians from across the country to provide a robust tool that will help address this urgent public health challenge."

The COVID-19 Severity Classification Pathway is available to the public at www.evidence.care/covid-19/. However, an Epic, Cerner or T-Systems integrated version is also available, and hospitals should contact info@evidence.care for more information.

EvidenceCare and The American College of Emergency Physicians Launch COVID-19 Severity Classification for Emergency Physicians

The New Pathway Integrates into EHR systems, Enabling Better Management of COVID-19 Patients

Nashville, Tenn. Aug. 18, 2020 - EvidenceCare, a leading provider of advanced clinical decision support technology, along with the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) announced the release of a clinical pathway to assist emergency departments (ED) deliver better care to patients with the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus (COVID-19).

The collaborative included clinicians on the frontlines of treating patients during this pandemic with the goal of bringing meaningful tools into their EHR workflow.

In early April, EvidenceCare announced the release of a free web solution to help clinicians in the trenches diagnose and treat COVID-19. The system is available to hospital systems, emergency department providers, urgent care companies, and telehealth providers around the world. With this additional clinical pathway, emergency physicians are able to better determine the appropriate evaluation and disposition for adult patients with suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The clinical content for the COVID-19 Severity Classification Pathway is available to the public at www.evidence.care/covid-19/. An EHR-integrated version is also available and hospitals should info@evidence.care for more information.

The pathway classifies patients on a range from mild/low risk to critical based on an assessment of the patient's vital signs, symptoms, pre-existing medical conditions, and diagnostic testing such as x-rays and labs. By having access to this tool, emergency physicians are able to recommend the best treatment plan for each patient they treat.

"As patients present with varying symptoms and severity of COVID-19, it is more important than ever to arm our frontline caregivers with the tools they need," said Dr. Brian Fengler, chief executive officer and co-founder of EvidenceCare.

The collaborative project was initiated from a grassroots effort of healthcare experts (a list of participants is available in the pathway) who desire to promote interoperable healthcare IT standards and accelerate knowledge translation from the research bench into clinical practice. "We ended up working in parallel channels on this. While the clinical team was curating the evidence to create the pathway, another team was developing it into a version that is executable in the EHR", says Dr. Fengler. "We were able to accomplish advances in interoperability in four months, what would traditionally take 4 years!"

"COVID-19 presents a significant challenge to emergency physicians and having access to clear and concise steps to triage this condition will enable them to provide the best possible care," said Sandy Schneider, MD, FACEP, associate executive director for clinical affairs, ACEP. "We are proud to work with EvidenceCare and leading clinicians from across the country to provide a robust tool that will help address this urgent public health challenge."

The COVID-19 Severity Classification Pathway is available to the public at www.evidence.care/covid-19/. However, an Epic, Cerner or T-Systems integrated version is also available, and hospitals should contact info@evidence.care for more information.

Sections: COVID