Technical publisher Elsevier acquires Chinese medical information provider Datong

Global publisher of scientific, technical and medical information Elsevier  has acquired Shanghai Datong Medical Information Technology Co., Ltd, a leading drug decision support provider in China, for an undisclosed sum.

Datong offers drug decision support software developed for Chinese hospitals to improve drug usage safety and reduce prescription errorsÂ

The acquisition will enable Elsevier to leverage Datong's products to gain entry into the emerging clinical decision support (CDS) market in China, helping Chinese hospitals to improve their quality of care through better drug usage and reduced prescription errors.

"For many years, Datong's products have contributed significantly to our hospital's drug usage monitoring system," said Dr Yin Yiqing, head of Fudang Zhongshan Hospital IT centre, a leading hospital in China. “We are happy to learn that Datong has joined Elsevier as we believe that together they can develop more advanced products that benefit hospitals and patients.”

Datong's flagship product, 'Clinical Drug Consultation and Safety Monitoring System', is embedded in the hospital computerised physician order system and provides drug-based alerts and warnings at order entry as well as drug reference information.

Launched in early 2002, the product is used by hospitals in 123 cities across 29 provinces, autonomous regions and municipal cities in China.