IllumiCare launches EHR tool to automate clinical trial referral at point of care

IllumiCare, a health tech company, has launched a tool to help providers recommend clinical trials to patients at the point of care. 

The company’s new Trials App automates the process of connecting patients to clinical trials during an appointment. This tool is embedded in the electronic health record (EHR) through the company’s Smart Ribbon solution, which sits at the top and nudges providers on different actions for more than 20 apps. The latest addition suggests to providers in real-time if a patient meets the referral criteria for a clinical trial.

"Meetings between doctors and patients provide a critical opportunity to determine which clinical trials may serve as a therapeutic option for a patient, yet historically, this information is either hard to access or is provided through general, obtrusive alert systems in the EHR," Mukul Mehra, M.D., the chief medical officer of IllumiCare, said in the announcement. "The Trials App presents patient-specific clinical trials for consideration within the clinician's workflow, streamlining the process from awareness to enrollment for providers, study coordinators and patients."

The company claims the Trials App to be the first of its kind to work within an EHR system and also the first to connect patients to trial coordinators directly with one click. These coordinators, employed by the clinical trials, oversee follow-ups with interested patients and manage or adjust the referral criteria in the app. The company says this recruitment approach enables coordinators to track patient journeys and be more engaged with trial participants. 

"Data shows that patients who enroll in a clinical trial referred by their provider have higher enrollment, participation and completion than someone who finds the trial on their own,” G.T. LaBorde, CEO of IllumiCare, said in the press release. “This App will amplify these conversations between provider and patient, increasing patient recruitment while expediting it.”