How Saudi Arabia’s Sariryah Medical Company uses evidence-based resources from Wolters Kluwer to deliver efficient, high-quality healthcare

Less time researching, more time helping patients.

MDH receives around 1,600 patients daily. Due to this high demand, continuously modernizing the hospital and adopting the most advanced technology are crucial to maximizing its operational efficiency.

Clinical decision support resources including UpToDate and Lexidrug put the latest evidence and expert recommendations in the hands of clinicians when and where they need it. This reduces time spent researching to determine the best course of action, empowering staff to focus on what matters most – patients.

Integrating Medi-Span drug screening into the electronic medical record (EMR) automates prescribing processes, raising operational efficiency, and reducing drug errors.

“Sariryah is unique in its approach in enhancing efficiency as all three Wolters Kluwer evidence-based solutions – UpToDate, Medi-Span, and Lexidrug – are integrated into the clinical workflow,” said Mr. Al-Thaqafi, “which means that they can be accessed quickly and easily via the EMR, saving clinicians’ time.”

UpToDate - the evidence-based resource that medical professionals trust.

UpToDate incorporates the editorial rigor and clinical domain expertise of more than 7,400 physician authors, editors and peer reviewers, with over 12,300 topics in 25 specialties. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists use UpToDate to diagnose, treat and educate patients.

By using UpToDate to further their knowledge, clinicians also stay aligned with the latest available evidence and best practices. They also collect CME points within UpToDate as evidence of their continuous learning and ongoing medical education.

UpToDate is an invaluable tool that helps clinicians provide the best possible care and outcomes for patients. They trust UpToDate to give them expert guidance and recommendations, particularly when evidence is scarce or unclear.

UpToDate Advanced is a new generation of clinical decision support. The interactive guidelines within UpToDate Advanced help busy users make faster, safer decisions on topics that generate many clinical questions. The Lab Interpretation module helps clinicians understand the best way to proceed upon receiving patients’ lab test results. The decisions made can be saved into the EMR for patient history and auditing purposes.

“Sariryah recognises the great impact UpToDate has had on MDH by supporting our doctors to make the right medical decisions,” said Mr. Al-Thaqafi. “UpToDate has helped Sariryah to achieve its aim of providing comprehensive and integrated medical care for patients and their relatives, as well as delivering services that maintain and improve the health of our society.”

Lexidrug referential drug information helps reduce medication errors.

With an increasing volume of drug information and complexities arising from polypharmacy, it is impossible for clinicians to remember everything they need to know, or even to spend time researching information. Lexidrug gives pharmacists, doctors, and nurses at MDH access to the latest drug information, including potential adverse reactions, interactions, and patient education materials.

Lexidrug enables users to quickly obtain all the information they need to prescribe and administer drugs while maintaining the highest levels of patient safety.

Medi-Span embedded drug screening increases efficiency and reduces alert fatigue.

Innovation and technology adoption are top priorities for Sariryah, given that they support the institution’s strategic aim to deliver high quality, cost-effective, and efficient care.

As part of the company’s digitisation strategy, the organisation required a drug screening solution that could be integrated into its EMR. The hospital selected Medi-Span, which automatically screens drug information against patient data to identify potential medication errors.

Medi-Span has also helped increase departmental efficiency and freed up pharmacists to focus on other activities. The Medi-Span ‘command center’ has allowed MDH to create sophisticated personalised alert systems, eliminate unnecessary alerts, and reduce alert fatigue.

“In Sariryah, we always put patient safety first,” said Mr. Al-Thaqafi. “Implementing Medi-Span has maximized hospital safety by managing medication errors and duplicating therapy and interactions.”

Easy access to clinical information, when and where it’s needed.

Clinicians at MDH can access UpToDate and Lexidrug via the hospital EMR, a laptop, or a portable device, making the resources ideal to use on the move – whether in a clinic, a ward, or a training room.

“Clinical teams have expressed overwhelming support and positive feedback for the Wolters Kluwer solutions,” observed Mr. Al-Thaqafi. “They give confidence and validation to clinicians that they are making the best decisions for patients, which are supported by the latest evidence and best practice.”

Regular training and ongoing support ensure that clinicians know how to leverage UpToDate, Medi-Span, Lexidrug, and UpToDate Advanced. Training ensures clinicians can take advantage of the latest available developments and tools to deliver efficient, high quality care.

Providing the best possible care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, UpToDate, and Lexidrug were the trusted ‘go-to’ resources for clinicians who needed access to the latest evidences and guidance to help them care for patients.

“People had many questions related to COVID-19 and these resources made it possible to answer all questions related to their medical case,” added Mr. Al-Thaqafi. “As a result of the pandemic, we also provided a tele-medicine service to answer and communicate with our patients. In some cases, patients had high levels of anxiety because they could not come to the hospital; hence, the use of this tool has helped doctors and the medical staff to communicate effectively online and provide apt medical advice.”

“We would absolutely recommend UpToDate, Lexidrug, and Medi-Span to any hospital looking for evidence-based solutions associated with improved patient outcomes, increased efficiency and enhanced provision of exceptional care. Giving our teams access to the clinical information, which they need along the patient pathway and in the clinical workflow, is integral to deliver quality healthcare services. Given all these advantages, I’m confident that we will continue to use these tools in all hospitals and medical facilities that we manage and will manage in the future,” concluded Mr. Al-Thaqafi.