CHICAGO, IL (PRWEB) September 10, 2013
ICNet® Systems, Inc., which provides infection surveillance and pharmacy stewardship software to more than 1,200 hospitals globally, and Visante®, Inc., a leader in medications management and infectious disease consulting, today announced a partnership to offer hospitals a comprehensive solution to help preserve the last line of defense against life-threatening bacteria.
Multiple-drug resistant organisms (MDROs), also known as “superbugs,” have developed resistance to most available antibiotics, largely through the misuse of antibiotic therapies. In the U.S., multi-drug-resistant infections cost the healthcare system in excess of $20 billion annually and generate more than 8 million additional hospital days. In the European Union, data show that about 25,000 patients die each year from those infections.
This strategic alliance is being formed to address the complex clinical and data analysis challenges associated with antimicrobial stewardship and infectious disease management. It combines ICNet’s powerful clinical decision support software with Visante’s depth of clinical expertise and hospital operating experience to promote the proper use of medications that treat infections.
ICNet will provide its suite of Agile Surveillance™ software solutions, which include:
- Comprehensive community and hospital-acquired infection surveillance.
- ABX Alert™, a real-time clinical decision support application that interfaces with existing information systems to ensure appropriate prescribing of antibiotics; detects and prevents adverse drug events for all classes of drugs; and provides accurate and powerful reports on a wide range of quality-of-care metrics, including auditing of doctors’ adherence to prescribing protocols and the efficacy of interventions.
With its experienced team of physicians, pharmacists, and hospital operating executives, Visante will provide clinical advisory services tailored to each hospital’s unique issues with bacterial resistance. Visante consultants conduct an extensive review of data, including an onsite visit to assess current bacteriology, prescribing habits, antibiotic use and cost, antimicrobial resistance and current stewardship efforts. Visante benchmarks the data against similar settings to discover the extent of resistance and the reasons driving it.
“We’ve been working to provide health systems with the data they need to improve clinical surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship across their operations,” said Adam Boris, chief executive officer of ICNet Systems. “Given the nature of the challenges facing healthcare today, it makes sense to partner with a company in Visante, which can help providers make the best use of that data through a structured, effective stewardship program.”
Added Michael Flagstad, Visante CEO: “Through our strategic alliance, Visante and ICNet will be able to provide clients with increased ability and speed to identify anti-infective best practices and uncover opportunities to improve the way these medicines are used. In an era when payment is at risk over hospital-acquired infections and readmissions and regulators are intensifying scrutiny of medication management, a systematic approach to antibiotic use in hospitals is critical.”
The two companies will work together to identify hospitals that would benefit from a combined ICNet/Visante approach. They will also share opportunities to co-market ICNet solutions and Visante consulting expertise.
The partnership will be international. ICNet has long been a global concern, having started in the U.K. over 12 years ago and with clients throughout the world. With a long list of teaching hospital clients in the U.S., Visante also works abroad, with an office in the U.K., and will begin operating in Canada by the end of 2013.
“The problem of MDROs and the overuse of antimicrobials know no international boundaries, so we will bring this joint solution to hospitals wherever we can,” Boris said.
About ICNet
ICNet® is the global leader for infection surveillance software, in daily use at more than 1,200 hospitals, including a growing number in North America, where ICNet Systems, Inc. has headquarters in Chicago. Focused on the reduction of healthcare-associated infections and preventable harm, ICNet uses analytic evidence and predictive alerts to reduce surgical site infections, prevent outbreaks and adverse drug events, and facilitate antimicrobial stewardship. ICNet offers advanced electronic reporting to the National Healthcare Safety Network, and has been certified by the U.S. government for meaningful use of health information technology, including Syndromic Surveillance. For more information, visit http://www.icnetsystems.com or visit us on LinkedIn.
About Visante
Visante, Inc., with offices in the U.S. and U.K., provides medicines management consulting to healthcare organizations. It helps clients optimize medication use, increase quality of care and achieve financial savings. Founded in 1999, Visante is comprised of senior consultants, including pharmacists, doctors, nurses and information technology professionals, each with 20 or more years of healthcare experience. It understands the business of medicines management. Learn more at http://www.visanteinc.com or http://visante.co.uk, or visit us on LinkedIn.
