Aiming to improve sepsis outcomes, Halifax Health has implemented Wolters Kluwer POC Advisor clinical decision support platform in its emergency department.

[See also: Clinical decision support: no longer just a nice-to-have]

POC Advisor is a cloud-based decision support platform, integrated with the electronic health record, that detects and alerts providers to patients presenting with symptoms of potential sepsis. The platform combines mobile-alerts and change-management advice, while standardizing sepsis protocols.

Early treatment is crucial to surviving sepsis. The challenge is that other conditions can present with similar symptoms. Targeted CDS can help make the difference in early diagnosis.

"Partnering with Wolters Kluwer provides our staff with the best opportunity to improve sepsis care and save patients' lives," Zabrina Evens, MD, medical director at Halifax Health, said in a press statement.

This is the first time POC Advisor has been implemented into any emergency department, according to Wolters Kluwer. Halifax Health has the largest ED in Florida, with more than 116,000 emergency visits annually.

"Halifax Health is nationally recognized for its commitment to arming its clinicians with the technologies and tools they need to provide optimal care," said David A. Del Toro, president and CEO of clinical software solutions at Wolters Kluwer, in a statement.