Netsmart, a provider of electronic health records (EHR), solutions, and services to behavioral health, social services, and post-acute organizations, is partnering with American Well to provide a new approach to addressing the nation’s growing opioid crisis. The partnership was revealed as part of the Interoperability Showcase at the 2019 HIMSS Conference.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), around 11.4 million people misuse prescription opioids, and an estimated 130 people die every day due to opoid-related drug overdoses. Both HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have initiated programs that help people suffering from opioid addiction in both urban and rural areas access get access to treatment and recovery services.
“Opioid addiction has immeasurable impacts on those who are fighting the disease, as well as their loved ones,” said American Well CEO and Chairman Ido Schoenberg, MD. “Telehealth has begun to play a significant role in expanding access to the treatment and prevention of opioid addiction—both in rural and urban areas. We’re excited we have partnered with Netsmart to show how technology can help assist with this critical need.”
Last year, Netsmart and American Well announced a technology partnership to connect their respective networks, creating a community of providers to bring virtual healthcare directly to the consumer. Building on that partnership, Netsmart has now integrated American Well’s telehealth solution into its EHR platform. Through this integration, specialists can now conduct remote addiction therapy visits with individuals.
One Netsmart client has taken a unique approach to help people with opioid addictions to get access to treatment in the community. The client has a mobile crisis van that leverages technology from American Well and Netsmart to conduct telehealth visits that connect the indivudal to their provider for medication-assisted treatment recovery services.
Read the original press release here.