Dive Brief:
- Electronic medical reference Merck Manuals is now accessible via Allscripts EHRs.
- Merck’s provider reference and patient education content has been fully integrated with Allscripts’ Sunrise, Professional EHR and TouchWorks EHR platforms.
- Users can easily access the manual with an HL7-compliant infobutton, so that the materials work within the EHR workflow. Allscripts customers are automatically authorized to use the manual after activating the programs and enrolling their users.
Dive Insight:
The integrated programs — available in English and nine other languages — allow clinicians to share patient education materials electronically through Allscripts’ EHR platforms or in print form that can be handed to them, Merck said.
With the value-based reimbursement movement, providers are focused on improving outcomes and population health while lowering healthcare costs. A key part of that is patient education and patient engagement. At the same time, providers face an increasing administrative burden with Meaningful Use, MACRA and other regulatory requirements.
According to recent studies, administrative tasks are a major cause of physician burnout. Earlier this year, CMS announced a new Office of Clinician Engagement to address regulatory burdens. The office stems from a provision in the 21st Century Cures Act that directed the agency to establish a blueprint for reducing regulatory and administrative workloads.
Tools that can simplify administrative tasks and ease workflow are in big demand, and the market is responding with a variety of data analytics, reference and other products and services.
Merck first published the Merck Manual for physicians and pharmacists in 1899, and has offered a consumer version since 1997. The digital offering is available with no registration or fees.