This week, more providers announced integrations with AI-powered tools and platforms that enable patients and physicians to better connect during visits, find and reduce the cost of specialty medications, and access healthcare resources at home or on the go.
Pfizer has committed to simplifying access to routine care with partners like Instacart and Zocdoc on a user-friendly, direct-to-consumer online platform. To reduce the cost of specialty drugs, Reliance Rx said it has joined the Waltz Connect marketplace, while Elation Health, a provider of electronic health records focused on primary care, has launched an ambient note-taking feature as the first step in redesigning a better experience for physicians.
“This is just the beginning of our broader vision to transform the EHR from an assistive technology to a valued assistant to the physician,” Kyna Fong, CEO of Elation Health, said in a statement Tuesday.
Reliance Rx Collaborates on Specialty Medicines
The companies announced Monday that Buffalo, Recent York-based Reliance Rx will join Waltz Connect, an AI-powered marketplace, as an in-network pharmacy offering specialty prescriptions.
Reliance said the average order fulfillment time is about three days and each successful clinical interaction can save the company more than $5,200.
The goal of the novel partnership is to reduce the administrative burden on plan sponsors and providers and lower net costs, according to Timothy Carroll, vice president of business development and analytics at Reliance Rx.
“Waltz Health provides plan sponsors with a solution that allows them to recognize a more seamless specialty pharmacy experience while removing barriers for plan members to access life-saving medications,” Carrol said in a statement.
Chicago-based Waltz Health, a platform for payers, pharmacies, pharmacy benefit managers and self-insured employers, said the addition of a novel specialty pharmacy partner will reduce friction for health plan members.
“With a proven ability to fulfill prescriptions at volume and predictable pricing, we provide access to a reliable, mission-driven specialty pharmacy that can lower costs and meet member expectations,” said Mark Thierer, co-founder and CEO of Waltz Health, in the announcement.
Elation EHR adds AI note-taking feature
Elation Health announced that it has introduced an outside-roll note generation feature to reduce the administrative burden of note-taking for convoluted patient visit requirements in primary care.
The solution, called Note Assist, is built-in AI that works with healthcare providers’ note templates and reviews existing patient notes and records to create documentation in near real time during visits.
According to the company, the tool requires minimal workflow changes, and access to patient data and other EHR tools is not disrupted during exploit.
“The connection between patient and physician is invaluable and easily broken,” Phill Tornroth, vice president of engineering at Elation Health, noted in a statement.
“It was critical that this first intelligent feature not only prove useful in the EHR, but also demonstrate what is possible when AI is designed with the trust of primary care experts who have a deep understanding of physician workflows.”
Pfizer focuses on health outcomes
Pfizer announced Tuesday that a novel digital platform called PfizerForAll will enable patients to exploit existing insurance and pharmacy programs, as well as offer novel direct services from partners such as UpScriptHealth, Alto Pharmacy and Instacart.
The company said the novel digital health platform will be used to treat common illnesses, such as migraines and common respiratory viruses, as well as to schedule vaccinations for adults. It aims to reduce the time patients spend getting care and filling prescriptions.
“People often experience information overload and face obstacles when making decisions for themselves or their families in our complex and often overwhelming U.S. healthcare system,” Aamir Malik, executive vice president and chief commercial officer, U.S., at Pfizer, said in a statement.
“This can be incredibly time-consuming and lead to indecision or inaction – and ultimately, poor health outcomes.”
The online platform allows patients to chat with a doctor at UpScript or schedule an appointment at Zocdoc, learn about migraines and get lend a hand with prior medication authorizations.