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Comparison of Computerized Prescription Support Systems in COVID-19 Patients: INTERCheck and Drug-PIN
Antonio Martocchia1, Clara Bruscia1, Giulia Conforti1
1Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1032, 00189 Rome, Italy.
SN Comprehensive Clinical Medicine
|January 3, 2022
Summary
Computerized prescription support systems like INTERCheck® and Drug-PIN® aid in managing COVID-19 patients, especially those with comorbidities and polypharmacy. These tools help optimize drug prescriptions and patient care, particularly for the elderly.
Area of Science:
- Medical Informatics
- Clinical Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) poses significant mortality risks, particularly for individuals with multiple comorbidities and polypharmacy.
- Effective management of COVID-19 requires careful drug evaluation to minimize adverse drug reactions.
- Healthcare systems face substantial challenges in treating COVID-19 patients due to complex health profiles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the utility of computerized prescription support systems in managing and treating COVID-19 infection.
- To assess the effectiveness of INTERCheck® and Drug-PIN® in characterizing patients and improving drug prescriptions for COVID-19.
- To evaluate the impact of these systems on patient care, with a focus on the elderly population.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 33 COVID-19 patients and 42 control subjects using INTERCheck® and Drug-PIN® software.
- Assessed comorbidity (number of pathologies), polypharmacy (number of drugs), and total INTERCheck scores.
- Analyzed the correlation between INTERCheck and Drug-PIN software scores at admission and during hospitalization.
Main Results:
- COVID-19 patients exhibited significantly higher comorbidity (5.8 ± 3.8) and INTERCheck scores (9.2 ± 7.1) compared to controls.
- A statistically significant correlation was found between INTERCheck and Drug-PIN software scores (p < 0.0000001 at admission; p < 0.00000001 during hospitalization).
- Both systems demonstrated utility in patient characterization and optimizing drug prescriptions for COVID-19.
Conclusions:
- Computerized prescription support systems, INTERCheck® and Drug-PIN®, are valuable tools for managing COVID-19 patients.
- These systems enhance the characterization of patients with COVID-19, particularly those with comorbidities and polypharmacy.
- Utilizing these tools can lead to improved drug prescriptions and better patient outcomes, especially in the elderly.
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