This article is sponsored by HospiceChoice Rx. In this Voices interview, Hospice News speaks with Erik Hornyak, CTO of HospiceChoice Rx, about how their ePrescribing platform, NaviScript, is optimizing prescribing workflows to give clinicians more time for patient care. Hornyak also discusses how his team partners with providers to address the industry’s most pressing technology challenges and explores the role of data analytics and AI in shaping the future of hospice care.

Hospice News: What life and career experiences do you most draw from, in your role today?

Erik Hornyak: Career-wise, I’ve spent most of my time in software development managing programming, or in leadership roles as a director. I’ve been in the technology and software development field for the better part of 24 years, working across several organizations and industries. This allowed me to see a wide range of approaches to technology and software development, to manage various types of teams, and to gain extensive experience in understanding how those teams operate and what makes them function effectively.

One of the most interesting aspects of my career has been launching new systems, particularly minimum viable product (MVP) versions, and working directly with the end-user community in a support capacity during those launches. This gave me firsthand insight into the effects of technology decisions on end users and taught me to be thoughtful about every decision we make from a technology perspective. End-user experience and improving workflows are central to everything we do, and those concepts shape how I set team expectations and define our deliverables in my current role as CTO of HospiceChoice Rx.

What are the common technology challenges you see in hospice care today, and how do these challenges impact patient care and operational efficiency?

Ensuring seamless integration between clinical and administrative workflows is a major challenge in hospice care. Many organizations still rely on fragmented systems and manual processes. NaviScript addresses these issues by automating repetitive tasks and unifying workflows, reducing inefficiencies while ensuring regulatory compliance. This allows clinicians to prioritize compassionate patient care over administrative burdens.

With many competitors offering ePrescribing and medication management software, what sets your platform apart in supporting hospices specifically?

NaviScript is purpose-built for hospice care, enabling seamless data transmission between the hospice EMR, claims adjudication module and ePrescribe module. This eliminates dual data entry for patient demographics and helps to ensure medications can be ordered for patients as quickly as possible. By minimizing user interaction and streamlining medication ordering on both mobile devices and desktops, NaviScript enhances patient care while reducing administrative workload. Dedicated cost management tools and exceptional customer support further set NaviScript apart from competitors.

How is HospiceChoice Rx integrating AI to enhance hospice care workflows, and how do you ensure that patient and clinical information remains safeguarded?

AI is a hot topic, especially in health care technology. The biggest concerns around using AI in this field center on incorporating it ethically and responsibly to enhance patient care. The safety and security of patient and clinical information is a top priority for HospiceChoice Rx, and our plans to integrate AI into NaviScript reflect that commitment. We’re focused on areas where we can make a meaningful impact while maintaining the highest standards of data privacy and security.

NaviScript has been focused on administrative workflows, aiming to reduce the burden on clinical staff. Much of this burden involves administrative overhead—pushing paper, whether digitally or physically. Leveraging AI and automation to streamline these workflows is a significant opportunity for us and will be a major area of development in 2025, with these capabilities built directly into NaviScript.

Additionally, we’re exploring the analysis of aggregate drug utilization data and using large language models for claims processing and adjudication. This would allow us to provide alternate medication recommendations that are more cost-effective while maintaining quality care. By working closely with PharmDs, we can identify key areas to target and use AI to aggregate and analyze data. NaviScript could then offer real-time recommendations to clinicians, improving patient care while reducing costs per patient day.

Essentially, we’re aiming to “put the PharmD into the app,” embedding their expertise into workflows to make recommendations and streamline communication. Since hospice care operates 24/7 and staffing is already a challenge, AI offers a way to provide real-time insights around the clock without the cost-prohibitive need for constant manual oversight. This not only enhances efficiency but also ensures clinicians have the tools they need to deliver better care. These advancements are key opportunities we’re excited to pursue in 2025.

What role does data analytics play in your platform, and how can it help hospices make more informed decisions about patient care and resource allocation?

Data analytics is central to NaviScript’s mission to improve hospice care. By analyzing drug utilization trends and cost per patient day, the platform provides actionable insights that empower PharmDs to make well-informed recommendations. NaviScript also uses analytics to identify workflow inefficiencies and optimize resource allocation so that hospices can proactively address patient needs. This data-driven approach will play an important role in helping care teams operate more efficiently while maintaining high-quality, patient-centered care.

What are some of the most exciting innovations you’re working on that will shape the future of hospice care?

One of the most exciting things we’re working on is building workflow enhancements for clinicians. We’re currently developing real-time capabilities to gain early insight into clinician intent for things like medication orders. This includes the ability to test and adjudicate prescription claims prior to submission, allowing the platform to proactively recommend cost-effective alternatives that achieve the same clinical benefit. As I mentioned earlier, efficiently embedding a virtual PharmD into the platform, these innovations improve both cost efficiency and quality of care to create a better experience for hospice patients at the end of life.

Finish this sentence: “In the hospice space, 2025 will be defined by…”

…ethical, responsible use of AI automation and technology that will propel patient care forward and allow clinicians to prioritize quality patient care over low-value administrative tasks.

Editor’s note: This article has been edited for length and clarity.

HospiceChoice Rx’s NaviScript platform modernizes pharmacy benefits and medication ordering. Learn more at https://hospicechoicerx.com

The Voices Series is a sponsored content program featuring leading executives discussing trends, topics and more shaping their industry in a question-and-answer format. For more information on Voices, please contact [email protected].