FDB Brings CDS Hooks Integration to Medication Warnings Solution

FDB’s Targeted Medication Warnings solution which is part of the FDB PatientFirst suite of clinical decision support (CDS) solutions, can now be integrated using CDS Hooks. 

CDS Hooks is an HL7 specification that allows for enhanced integration of clinical software applications within an EHR system. The service is compatible with the SMART on FHIR (Substitutable Medical Applications, Reusable Technologies on Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) standard protocol for data exchange. Developers can activate Targeted Medication Warnings using CDS Hooks through an application programming interface (API) to minimize development time and speed time to market.  

This enhancement enables healthcare IT developers to streamline the integration and seamless delivery of next-generation, patient-focused prescribing guidance offered by FDB Targeted Medication Warnings within any EHR system.  

The addition of CDS Hooks service to FDB Targeted Medication Warnings supports the patient-specific decision support requirements of the 21st Century Cures Act, which was designed to advance interoperability and facilitate the seamless exchange of healthcare information. The company said the use of standardized APIs and adherence to the SMART on FHIR protocol further underscore its commitment to the Cures Act's aim for greater data interoperability in healthcare IT. 

FDB said that developers can now more quickly and easily present trusted, patient-specific medication decision support with Targeted Medication Warnings during the optimal workflows within the prescriber’s EHR, such as when a new medication is selected for ordering.

“FDB continues to invest in our solutions to take advantage of the latest technological innovations that help clinicians make safe, well-informed care decisions faster and easier,” said Anna Dover, PharmD, director of product management for FDB, in a statement. “Adding a CDS Hooks service to our already highly configurable Targeted Medication Warnings solution allows EHR developers to easily implement next-generation medication decision support at the right moment in the clinical workflow with targeted recommendations relevant to each patient. The ability to optimize the presentation of alerts can save prescribers time, reduce alert fatigue, and ultimately result in safer, higher-quality care.”

Hospitals and health systems leverage FDB Targeted Medication Warnings to optimize medication guidance based on patient-specific data (e.g., lab results and clinical risk scores) and to ensure that medication alerts and other guidance are presented to clinicians only when pertinent to individual patients in their current clinical scenarios. 

“Optimized medication safety alerts, made possible by FDB Targeted Medication Warnings, represent a significant progression in CDS capabilities at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) and many other healthcare institutions,’ said Donald Levick, M.D., M.B.A., consultant and former chief medical information officer at LVHN, in a statement. “Advantages include more efficient medication guidance, improvements in alert acceptance and override rates, and greater clinician satisfaction. With CDS Hooks, organizations without the necessary interface infrastructure can now deploy Targeted Medication Warnings and reap these benefits. Straightforward integration via CDS Hooks should provide a compelling motivation for healthcare organizations to adopt this cutting-edge technology, thereby elevating the care process for all involved parties.”