WESTWOOD, Mass., Nov. 13, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The DrFirst myBenefitCheck^SM solution, which is being integrated into the MEDITECH Expanse Enterprise Health Record (EHR) as the Real-Time Benefit Check (RTBC) tool, empowers patients — especially those with high deductible health plans — to better manage the cost of their care. The tool allows physicians to involve patients in the medication decision-making process for the opportunity to determine the best therapeutic alternative based on the patient's medical need, insurance coverage, and medication costs.

Nonadherence to medication is an ongoing issue affecting healthcare, causing an estimated 125,000 patient deaths and costing the system between $100-289 billion per year. MEDITECH aims to improve medication adherence and reduce costs by integrating the RTBC tool as well as DrFirst's Electronic Prior Authorization (ePA) solution directly within the company's web-based, mobile Expanse EHR. When used simultaneously, these tools will help provide enhanced cost transparency for patients at the point of care, aiding medication regimens and promoting positive health outcomes.

"MEDITECH has a long tradition of providing healthcare organizations with solutions that enhance efficiencies and help clinicians deliver safe and effective patient care," says G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst. "By giving providers accurate medication cost details at the point of care, MEDITECH clients will be better equipped to drive medication adherence and improve health outcomes. We look forward to extending our relationship with MEDITECH and working together to improve medication cost transparency and overall clinical efficiencies."

Along with the ability to immediately alert patients about out-of-pocket prescription costs, providers will be able to proactively initiate electronic prior authorization requests directly within the clinical workflow, reducing data entry and saving an average of two and a half hours of administrative work per week. The tool also enables providers to check if prior authorization is required and learn when coverage has been approved or denied.

When the ePA functionality is used in conjunction with the RTBC tool, DrFirst reports users have shown a 40 percent improvement for correct prior authorization flagging.

"MEDITECH was a pioneer in benefits checking with e-prescribing but relied on medication benefit coverage files to be up to date. Now we can check cost directly with the Real-Time Benefit Check tool to get real time, up-to-date deductible and out-of-pocket spending, and other patient insurance factors," says MEDITECH Executive Vice President Hoda Sayed-Friel.

Patients will know how much their medications will cost before going to the pharmacy — including how much will be covered by insurance — and can discuss with their provider whether alternative therapies will meet their clinical needs while maintaining affordability. Sayed-Friel continues, "Offering these new functions aligns with our company's commitment to lowering the cost of healthcare through sustainable, patient-centered, value-added solutions."

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About MEDITECH
The next digital transformation of healthcare is underway, and MEDITECH is leading the charge with Expanse, the only full-scale EHR designed specifically for the post-Meaningful Use era. As a leading EHR vendor for over 45 years, MEDITECH's solutions have empowered 2,350+ customers across 22 different countries to provide higher quality care, with greater efficiency, to more people, at a lower cost. Today, our cutting-edge solutions are helping organizations to see healthcare through a new lens and navigate this virtual landscape with unparalleled vision and clarity. Whether your destination is clinical efficiency, analytical prowess, or financial success, MEDITECH's bold innovation, passion, and expertise will get you where you want to go. Visit ehr.meditech.com, our Newsroom and Blog, and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to start your journey today.

About DrFirst
DrFirst, the nation's leading provider of e-prescribing and medication management solutions, enables stakeholders across the healthcare industry to use comprehensive real-time data and connectivity to increase their patient safety ratings, efficiency, and profitability. Today, more than 170,000 healthcare professionals and more than 60% of electronic health record (EHR) vendors depend on DrFirst's innovative software solutions to improve clinical workflows, expedite secure collaboration across a patient's care team and drive better health outcomes. The company's integrated technologies include its award-winning electronic prescribing platform, the most comprehensive medication history available, clinically specialized secure messaging, and patient medication adherence monitoring and benefits checking. In addition, DrFirst was the first to offer e-prescribing for controlled substances (EPCS) and is considered the industry standard for providers nationwide. For more information, please visit www.drfirst.com or connect with us @DrFirst.

Contacts
Paul Berthiaume
Senior Manager, Marketing Communications
MEDITECH
781-774-5742
pberthiaume@meditech.com

Liz Carroll
Manager, Public Relations and Media Relations
MEDITECH
781-774-3297
ecarroll@meditech.com

DrFirst Media Contact
Lisa Chernikoff
DrFirst Media Contact
Amendola Communications
734-678-5513
lchernikoff@acmarketingpr.com

SOURCE MEDITECH

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