19 May 2022 - - US-based digital clinical decision support provider epocrates, an athenahealth, Inc. company, has recently made to its decision support tool content, all of which provides clinicians with the most current information and independent expert guidance on evaluation and treatment of medical conditions, the company said.

Availability of this information is critical to ensure clinicians have rapid access to the answers they need to make the best decisions at the point of care.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and new observational and trial data emerge, medical societies update their recommendations accordingly. In 2021, epocrates made more than 160 COVID-19 related updates, with at least 40 updates in 4Q21 alone.

epocrates' most recently launched decision tool, "Long COVID-19 Eval and Management," focuses on the next phase of the pandemic, where the attention shifts to understanding the long-term effects of COVID.

The tool arms front-line clinicians with the most recent algorithmic, easy-to-access, evidence-based guidance from industry experts so they can make informed decisions and provide the best care possible for patients presenting with symptoms of long COVID.

This tool follows the 4Q21 release of epocrates' "COVID-19 vs. Flu: Quick Reference," a resource that offers the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest expert guidance on the two conditions, so clinicians are better equipped to answer patient questions about the differences and similarities between the conditions, and to differentiate between the conditions for diagnosis.

The COVID-19 vs. Flu: Quick Reference tool marked the 15th topic added to epocrates' Guidelines and Decision Tools library in 2021, a 13% increase in new topics over year-end 2020, with more than 130 topics in the library, which is free to everyone using epocrates on mobile devices or online.

In addition to the new COVID-19 tools, other significant updates are continually being made to the following COVID-19 decision tools: COVID-19 Drug and Vaccine Updates, Consensus Guidelines for COVID-19 Drug Therapies, and the SARS-CoV-2 Variant-Based Monoclonal Antibody Selection Tool.