WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 15, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Nemours Children's Health System has added the ActX Genomic Decision Support system to its electronic health record (Epic), enabling the use of genetic information to better predict drug response in its pediatric patients. By understanding how a child's genetic profile may affect drug response, providers can choose safer and more effective medications for patients.
Nemours has integrated ActX Genomic Decision Support within Epic, used in the care of nearly half a million children annually throughout the nation's only multi-state children's health system. This integration brings pharmacogenomics to the point of care by enabling real-time checking of each prescription order against the patient's pharmacogenomic profile. Prescribing providers will be alerted if a drug may be ineffective, may cause an adverse reaction, or requires a dosing change based on the patient's genetic information, all within the normal prescribing workflow. The initial pharmacogenomic panel at Nemours includes pharmacogenes related to commonly used medications such as certain antidepressants, opioids, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs.
"Choosing the right medication at the right dose is extremely important for children," said Pamela H. Arn, MD, Medical Director of Precision Medicine. "Clinical decision support provided by ActX will allow us to apply pharmacogenomic results alongside clinical information to arrive at the best medication and dose for the patient."
The new platform was initiated at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, DE. Over the coming months, the service will continue to develop across the Nemours enterprise with goals to first expand the scope of practice in the Delaware Valley, then to expand to Jacksonville and Orlando, FL by early 2021. The pharmacogenomics service will also allow for unique research opportunities and collaboration.
"We are excited to partner with Nemours to bring precision medicine and pharmacogenomic decision support into pediatric care," said Dr. Andrew Ury, CEO of ActX. "The ActX platform will help make actionable pharmacogenomics practical for Nemours' physicians and their patients."
Nemours' implementation of ActX within Epic marks a big step toward making precision medicine the norm for its patients.
About ActX
ActX helps physicians make better decisions about medical treatment, using patients' genetic information. ActX uses its GenoACT℠ clinical decision support program to analyze a patient's genetic information and alert physicians in real time through their existing workflow tools about drug-genome interactions, actionable hereditary risks and carrier status. For more information, [email protected] or (888) 998-2289.
About Nemours
Nemours is an internationally recognized children's health system that owns and operates two free-standing children's hospitals: Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del., and Nemours Children's Hospital in Orlando, Fla., along with outpatient facilities in five states, delivering pediatric primary, specialty and urgent care. Nemours also powers the world's most-visited website for information on the health of children and teens, KidsHealth.org, and offers on-demand, online video patient visits through Nemours CareConnect. Nemours ReadingBrightstart.org is a program dedicated to preventing reading failure in young children, grounded in Nemours' understanding that child health and learning are inextricably linked, and that reading level is a strong predictor of adult health.
Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. duPont, Nemours provides pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy and prevention programs to families in the communities it serves.
SOURCE ActX
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