Atlantic Health targets polypharmacy
Polypharmacy refers to using five or more medications, a practice that research has shown increases the risk of drugs interacting dangerously with each other. Multiple medications can cause confusion, lightheadedness and even internal bleeding.
Morristown, N.J.-based Atlantic Health System will soon deploy an AI-based technology that flags polypharmacy issues. The health system's new tool will find patients at high risk of hospitalization, recommend edits to medication regimens and other clinical interventions, and "monitor care journeys at the individual and population health levels," according to a press release.
Every year, substandard medication management leads to 275,000 deaths and more than $528 billion in avoidable costs in the U.S., according to research.
Atlantic Health System provides care for more than half of New Jersey and parts of New York and Pennsylvania. Its new AI-powered medication management platform will be available for more than 520,000 beneficiaries via Atlantic Health's three Accountable Care Organizations.