TheraDoc, Inc., a medical informatics company, is implementing its expert clinical decision-support software at the VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System (VA Salt Lake City HCS). TheraDoc's Infection Control Assistant (ICA) software went live on April 15, 2005. The Infection Control Assistant gives infection control practitioners the time and opportunity to quickly intervene and educate--instead of spending time gathering data they need to identify, quantify and control infectious outbreaks. TheraDoc's capabilities also provide a cost-effective way of complying with the latest infection control guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).

According to a 2004 report by Nicholas Graves, M.D., in the CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases Journal, the effect of infectious diseases is one of the largest cost drivers in U.S. hospitals with annual economic costs of $6.7 billion (in 2002 dollars). Dennis S. O'Leary, M.D., JCAHO's president last year alerted hospitals to the need for change, "...in the current health care environment where every expense must be defended, the large price tag of reacting to infections instead of preventing them is indefensible." (Meeting JCAHO's Infection Control Requirements, June 2004, P. 4)

TheraDoc's ICA features integrated monitoring and data collection capabilities that support infection control initiatives--in real-time. Scott Walker, vice president, strategic development at TheraDoc, explained, "Traditional manual reviews and other systems use retrospective methods, which provide only a view of the past. The ICA provides infection control practitioners with the ability to identify emerging trends, so they can intervene concurrently to avoid and mitigate infections, their effects and attendant costs."

DSS, inc., TheraDoc's integration partner for the Department of Veterans Affairs' hospitals, has 800+ implementations within the VA's hospitals and clinics nationwide. Both companies are committed to delivering technology that will enhance clinicians' abilities to consistently meet patient safety and business objectives.

Aldo Tinoco, TheraDoc's implementation project manager for the VA Salt Lake City HCS, explains the value of partnering with DSS. "Our collective clinical and technical expertise ensures interoperability between VistA and TheraDoc's software," he noted. "As users of advanced healthcare technology, the VA is embracing industry healthcare data standards and utilizing integrated systems to effectively improve patient care and quality outcome initiatives. These standards and TheraDoc's partnership with DSS have created a model for further implementations."

About TheraDoc, Inc.

TheraDoc is a medical informatics company specializing in therapeutic, real-time decision support that improves the quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care in large and small healthcare organizations. Integrated with disparate hospital information systems or electronic medical records, TheraDoc's technology helps clinicians manage multiple processes of care across multiple conditions and diseases.

Founded in 1999, TheraDoc designs, develops, and supports a suite of clinical decision support technologies. TheraDoc's founders and core medical informatics team are internationally recognized for their pioneering work in medical expert systems.