Testimonials of IQware
"After working closely with the IQWare MTM application and the development team creating it, I am confident that the security and extremely flexible design tools offered by the product are able to facilitate an effective and efficient support of the pharmacist's provision of MTM services to patients. The software can communicate with pharmacy management systems to save on data entry requirements. Then it offers the structure and clinical decision support for both assessment and disease management purposes. Ultimately, it creates documentation and billing transactions as a byproduct of providing MTM services. It offers the epitome of sophisticated simplicity."
Bill G. Felkey
Professor Emeritus of Healthcare Informatics Auburn University
August 9, 2012
To Whom It May Concern:
The Tennessee Pharmacists Association (TPA) continues to work in Tennessee to maximize the delivery and
documentation of pharmacist-provided medication therapy management (MTM) services to patients. As part of
this work, the Tennessee Pharmacists Research and Education Foundation (TPREF), our 501(c)3 non-profit
organization, recently received a grant from BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Health Foundation to
implement a program involving novel pharmacist-provided patient care services for patients in Tennessee. This
program requires a customizable, user-friendly MTM software system that meets the specific needs of our
patient care program. In our search for a system that meets the needs of the program, TPREF has had the
opportunity to evaluate several of the commercially-available MTM software systems. As a result of this search,
TPREF has selected IQware MTM / DSM as the MTM software system to be utilized for this project.
Through our search, we found that IQware MTM / DSM possesses a level of intuition, flexibility, and
customizability which is rarely seen in today's MTM software system market. This software system allows us to
work collaboratively with IQware programmers to make changes to the system to adapt to variables, including
shifting market needs and changes to regulations. The IQware MTM / DSM system maintains the ability to work
collaboratively to deploy on any equipment (including mobile devices), to receive and transmit data from many
different data sources, and to provide a Department of Defense level of security. This system places the
pharmacist as the primary point of contact in the management of each patient's diabetes care, and the
documentation system will allow pharmacists to appropriately document care interventions, formulate
treatment plans and recommendations, and communicate goals of therapy and treatment plans with patients
and/or caregivers, other health care providers, and the patient's health plan.
Lastly, The IQware MTM / DSM level of customer service is exceptional when compared to others, based on our
experiences in the marketplace. Our needs for the program may change, but we are sure that IQware has the
ability to adapt to these changes, giving IQware MTM / DSM an endless shelf life.
"Effective development, utilization, and management of a secure, user-friendly documentation system is
essential to the successful delivery of patient care services by pharmacists. IQWare MTM / DSM, with its webbased
documentation system, provides pharmacists with the ability to accurately document and communicate
information electronically within a secure system to other health care providers, health plans, and most
importantly, to the patient. IQWare MTM / DSM also possesses a level of customizability rarely seen in today's
health information technology arena."
- Dr. Baeteena Black
Baeteena Black, DPh
Executive Director
Tennessee Pharmacists Association
Read IQware MTM/DSM testimonial from Dr. Baeteena Black
February 22, 2012
Dear Steve, Don and Marc,
Steve, Don and Marc, I am pleased to give you my thoughts on IQware's
product, and why I believe IQware is positioned in the "sweet spot"
for what’s needed in health care at this moment in time. As you know,
I am very active at both the state and national level with regard to
pharmacy connectivity and HIT(Health Information Technology) efforts
to improve patient care. I have been very critical of current E
Prescribing efforts, because they have done nothing to reduce the
error rates, and have actually created new errors that we need to
catch and correct. The potential to catch overdoses and other serious
problems is not being addressed by the EMR (electronic medical record)
and E Prescribing systems,and IQware has the potential to quickly
provide a flexible solution. With regard to my primary interest,
pharmacist services, it is clear to me that IQware meets the need to
communicate with various physician, hospital and laboratory systems,
all speaking different languages. Pharmacists can also report, bill
and evaluate the effectiveness of the newest services that payers are
demanding, as described in the new Surgeon General's report on the
value of pharmacists in the health care system.
http://www.pharmacist.com/AM/Template.cfm?
Section=Home2&TEMPLATE=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=27555
Here are some of my thoughts.
MEDICATION THERAPY MANAGEMENT
Pharmacists have been providing a very valuable service, known as
Medication Therapy Management (MTM) for over 10 years. These services
are now being recognized and paid by Medicare and a number of private
payers. The problem is that there is not an easy way for pharmacists
to report the services,bill for them, and report the health outcomes
of the patients receiving the services. The payers know that they
save thousands of dollars from the pharmacists interventions, and are
prepared to pay for those services, but the billing systems in
pharmacy are primarily designed to bill tablets or capsules, not
professional services. IQ Wares solves that problem.
With patients with diabetes, for example, a large percentage of the
patients are not utilizing their medications properly, resulting in a
high number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations. However,
when the pharmacist meets face-to-face with the patients, carefully
explaining how to utilize the medications, and how to use the blood
testing devices, the results are impressive. In a recent Ohio study,
the patient population improved from only 50% of patients meeting the
HbA1c standard, to over 75% hitting the correct number. This
translated into nearly $2000 of savings per patient per year, after
paying the pharmacists' charges. The patient saw the physician more
frequently, the plan paid for more medication because the patient
began taking it properly, but ER and hospitalization savings were far
higher than the additional drug, pharmacist and physician
charges.IQware, by providing an easy-to-use, flexible platform, allows
the process to happen smoothly.
SAFETY AND SECURITY
All health care providers are, or should be, extremely concerned about
the security of their data. And yet, I constantly hear of breaches of
that security, sometimes associated with huge financial penalties.
IQware is a solution that has taken security to a much higher level.
Since the data doesn't reside on a computer that could be easily
breached through a flimsy browser, the patient data remains secure.
The added security of MTM and other safety measures make the product
far superior to competitive products.
OVERALL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
We have a huge problem in the US with regard to patient transitions of
care from home to hospital, hospital to home or nursing home, or
whatever facility. Drugs are a major cause of these problems in
transitions. We know that 1/3 of the prescriptions written for chronic
illness are never filled, resulting in many of the patients returning
to the hospital within 30 days, resulting in NO payment for the
hospital or physicians. It is also clear that nearly 50% of those
taking medications take them incorrectly, also adding to readmissions,
IQware will allow connectivity between the hospital and the local
pharmacy, so the community pharmacist will know exactly what
medications the patient is being released with, so we can ask why a
prescription is missing. The local pharmacist can also be
incentivized to slow down and be sure the patient fully understands
the medication. If they refuse to fill the prescription, or if there
is a problem such as a high copay keeping them from filling the drug,
the pharmacist can report back to the prescribing physician. The
community pharmacist can also check lab values and other information
on the patient chart, via IQware's connectivity, so that the
pharmacist can adjust medication dosages, as the physician requests.
One of the great features of IQware is its flexibility. One system
may want specific data collected on all diabetic patients, where
another program may focus more specifically on pain management. The
program can be adjusted quickly to provide the specific reporting
required by the program. The interoperability positions the software
to help move the latest in health care reform in a practical
direction. Medical homes and accountable care organizations both
require health professions to step out of their individual silos, and
focus on the needs of the patient. IQware, by providing access to
various records through one interface, reduces unnecessary repeating
of tests, and improves communications between all providers treating a
particular patient. In addition, when requested,IQware can add safety
to the process by doing certain checks for overdoses,duplication, and
other medication issues. This will prevent patient injury and
lawsuits that today's systems cannot prevent.
I see IQware being the vehicle to truly empower healthcare reform.
Patient outcomes will improve, thus allowing physicians, pharmacists,
and other providers to be paid appropriately for the improved care,
which is where the health care system wants to go. I believe that the
improved medication therapy management done through this system will
be the initial reason that IQware is utilized, but the potential for
numerous other uses for the products safety and flexibility are
exciting. I fully endorse the product.
Ernest Boyd, R.Ph., MBA
Executive Director
Ohio Pharmacists Association
2674 Federated Blvd
Columbus, Ohio 43235
Read IQware testimonial from Ernest Boyd