Improving patient care and clinician training with UpToDate in India

Since BBH started using UpToDate, he says “the outcomes that we are having … are really good. It will decrease the length of the stay of the patient in the hospital, ultimately reducing the health costs.” BBH clinicians cite the value of UpToDate in supporting decision-making around:

• Antibiotic stewardship and learning about global treatments for resistant infections.
• Appropriate prescribing of medications, including alternative therapies and indications for deprescribing.
• Complicated cases featuring multiple comorbidities.
• Quick decision-making when time with a patient is limited.

“Protocols are updated every day,” says Dr. Indu K. Nair, a consultant in internal medicine and infectious disease. “So, this is something which we can rely on for our bedside practice.” She also notes the importance of having UpToDate on mobile devices when teaching and working away from the hospital bedside.

Dr. Asha Sujatha, a consultant in internal medicine and rheumatology, adds that UpToDate “has helped a lot in my clinical practice by reducing the prescription errors. When a lot of new drugs come in the market, we are not aware of the side effects or the drug-drug interactions because trials are still underway or studies are still going on. Being able to access [new] information helps me in choosing drugs appropriately and preventing errors.”

Using the evidence-based approaches to treatment, backed by international guidelines, available within UpToDate “translates into saving money for the patients,” Sujatha says.

Training the next generation: Evidence-based tools are valuable in teaching hospital

BBH is a teaching hospital with postgraduate training for doctors in 18 specialties as well as institutes for nursing and allied health professionals.

“Teaching becomes [much] easier with UpToDate in our hands, on our phones, on our iPads, on our computers,” says Dr. Nair. “It’s easily accessible. You don't have to go through extensive text. It's a very concise, very precise, and point-of-care” oriented resource.

Students and residents at BBH use UpToDate for:

• Access to the latest international clinical guidelines and evidence-based practices for both studying medicine and treating patients.
• Helping reduce prescription errors and inform drug selection.
• “Practicing diligence” by reviewing all systems related to a patient issue.
• Confidence in decision-making.

Established BBH clinicians also take advantage of the ability to earn continuing education credits simply by using UpToDate.

“The credit we get after we read a topic – that has been an important concept of UpToDate,” says Dr. Shivakumar Shivanna, senior consultant and head of the critical care department. In addition to staying current with evidence for various diagnoses and treatments, “you get credit points from an educational point of view as well.”

“We are one among the first mission hospitals to get accredited, and we have been accredited for 14 years now,” adds Dr. Manjou Chacko of BBH’s Quality, Assessment and Operations Department. “Continuous quality improvement and learning is an integral part of the NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers) accreditation, and we ensure our residents [stay] abreast of the latest standard treatment guidelines and clinical practice guidelines using UpToDate.”

To learn more about Bangalore Baptist Hospital and its approach to enhancing care with UpToDate, watch this video.