SAN MATEO, CALIF., July 22, 2004
Epocrates Introduces "Essentials" Mobile Clinical Reference Suite
All-in-One Solution Delivers Information on Drugs, Diseases
and Diagnostics to Health Care Professionals at the Point-of-Care
Epocrates today introduced the Epocrates® Essentials integrated suite of industry-leading clinical reference applications, featuring the brand new Epocrates Lab™ reference and the latest versions of the Epocrates Rx Pro™ and Epocrates Dx™ references. The Epocrates Essentials system includes all of the key decision support applications—drugs, diseases, and diagnostics— required for today's health care professional, all seamlessly integrated at the point-of-care.
"The Epocrates Essentials suite does for the clinician what Microsoft Office did for the office worker —providing the applications needed most in an integrated suite," said Kirk Loevner, Epocrates CEO. "All of the Epocrates applications are authored from the ground up, specifically designed for mobile devices."
Already, over 350,000 physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, including over 20 percent of U.S. physicians, subscribe to Epocrates applications. The applications provide unparalleled ease-of-use and up-to-date, trusted content which improves patient care and safety, and results in greater efficiency. Now delivery of care will be further enhanced through the Epocrates Lab diagnostic reference with information on hundreds of tests, including collection, interpretation and next steps. From the lab information, caregivers can easily tap on the Epocrates Dx tab to learn about diseases that may cause abnormal results or turn to the Epocrates Rx monographs to learn more about the drugs that might cause an abnormal result.
A comprehensive, easy-to-use lab reference is indispensable for today's health care professional for several reasons.
- Each physician in the United States orders an estimated 40 lab tests every day, and new technologies and diagnostic tools are introduced at a fast pace, leaving medical professionals in need of support at the point-of-care to understand new, unfamiliar tests.
- According to the College of American Pathologists, laboratory services drive 80 percent of clinical decisions from diagnosis through therapy and prognosis.
- Nineteen percent of medical errors in a family practice office are related to lab results according to a recent study from the Robert Graham Policy Center.
"In today's fast-paced, complex medical environment, clinicians need diagnostic information at their fingertips. The Epocrates Lab reference was specifically developed by practicing physicians to help PDA users interpret test results," said Robert A. Baldor, MD, FAAFP, Professor of Family Medicine & Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Senior Managing Editor for the development of the Epocrates Lab reference. "A test description, with references for cost, associated ICD-9 codes, normal values and collection guidelines gives a quick overview. Abnormal results are explained and suggestions for the ‘next steps' to take in clarifying the diagnosis are only a click away! In addition to practicing clinicians this will be an invaluable reference for nurses, medical students and residents."
Those who enjoyed a preview during beta-testing are already emphasizing the benefits of adding Epocrates Lab to their mobile arsenal.
"I especially like the hot links between the modules... Overall, it's probably the most useful, best integrated set of clinical information modules that I've used thus far. It has become the most used medical app on my PDA," said Sam Wang, MD, faculty member and Associate Program Director for the community hospital based Memorial Family Practice Residency Program in Houston, Texas.
Essentials Suite Product Specifications
The Epocrates Rx Pro drug reference includes over 3,500 monographs including adult and pediatric dosing, contraindications and cautions and adverse reactions; an alternative medicine guide covering over 400 herbals; the MultiCheck® function capable of checking up to 30 drugs simultaneously for interactions; health plan formulary coverage and retail prices; the Epocrates ID® infectious disease treatment guide; and built-in dosing and medical math calculators.
The Epocrates Dx comprehensive medical diagnostic and therapeutic reference is based on respected content from the editor of 5-Minute Clinical Consult and features over 1,200 conditions and diagnoses described in extensive detail, quick treatment reminders, signs and symptoms, differential diagnoses, medications, and more.
The Epocrates Lab reference covers hundreds of diagnostic tests and panels including information on collection, preparation and cautions; pricing and Medicare reimbursement; and interpretation (disease, drug and spurious causes) and follow-up guidelines.
The Epocrates Essentials suite is available for download from www.epocrates.com as either an annual or two-year, low cost subscription compatible with mobile devices using the Palm OS and synchronizing to a Windows PC. Epocrates Essentials for Pocket-PC devices will be available this fall.
CONTACT: Erica Sniad Morgenstern Epocrates Public Relations PHONE: (650) 227-6907 E-MAIL: pr@epocrates.com WEB: www.epocrates.com