Hospital-acquired infections at Southern Ohio Medical Center in Portsmouth have fallen since it implemented a software program from Meditech, the EHR vendor said Aug. 30.
Meditech's Expanse determines the risk of Clostridioides difficile and triggers orders when needed, helping with earlier detection, isolation and treatment of C. diff.
"In addition to the mortality attributed to [C. diff], the morbidity cannot be overstated," said David Byers, MD, senior medical director for infectious diseases at Southern Ohio Medical Center, in an Aug. 30 Meditech news release. "This is a disease that I have seen upend the lives of previously healthy patients through multiple relapses or even colectomies, and often precipitated by antibiotics they didn't need."
C. diff incidence and canceled tests have both dropped by about 30 percent since the software was instituted, according to the news release.
"Southern Ohio Medical Center's commitment to quality improvement really is an investment in their future," stated Hoda Sayed-Friel, senior vice president for Meditech.