Clinical decision support system
A clinical decision support system (CDSS) is a healthcare technology designed to assist medical practitioners in making informed decisions regarding patient care. These systems gather and organize patient information, streamline the ordering of routine tests, and analyze data to enhance diagnostic accuracy. Originating in the 1950s, early CDS systems relied on databases to provide physicians with treatment information, evolving through the decades into computerized systems and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Modern CDS systems aim to reduce medical errors, lower costs, and improve patient outcomes by alerting healthcare providers to potential issues, such as duplicate tests or harmful drug interactions.
CDSS can vary in complexity, with some systems providing basic drug information while others integrate comprehensive patient records, diagnostic guidelines, and treatment protocols. They can function on a range of devices, including standalone machines, computers, tablets, and smartphones. Proponents advocate for the adoption of these systems, highlighting their ability to enhance efficiency and quality of care, as they enable practitioners to devote more time to patients. Ultimately, CDSS endeavors to improve the healthcare experience by providing timely and relevant information to support clinical decision-making.
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Subject Terms
Clinical decision support system
A clinical decision support system (CDSS or CDS system) is a form of health care technology. The purpose of a CDS system is to assist medical practitioners when they make decisions about patient care. The system can help in a number of ways, including collecting the information into one place and in a format that makes it easy for the practitioner to access, assisting in the process of ordering routine tests for a condition, and analyzing patient information. CDS systems can help medical practitioners be more efficient and accurate, control costs and curb waste in the medical system, and reduce patient inconvenience.
Overview
CDS systems originated in the 1950s with special databases built to provide physicians with up-to-date treatment information. In the 1960s, hospitals began using the earliest forms of computerized patient information systems that maintained basic records, including patient admission files and lab results. Some facilities used more low-tech CDS systems in which librarians looked up information and physically attached recent articles and studies to the patients' files.
As computer technology increased in scope and decreased in size, more health care systems turned to this technology to assist physicians. Programs were developed to help physicians quickly access patient records, find relevant expert information, prescribe medications, and handle recordkeeping and billing. By the 1990s, many physicians were using personal digital assistants (PDAs) to assist with care.
The early 2000s saw continued advances in the capability of computerized technology. This was accompanied by increases in the amount of research performed in medical areas and the amount of information available to physicians and other practitioners. At the same time, there was increased focus on both decreasing health care costs and reducing the amount of errors practitioners made. This led to the development of new CDS systems that could assist physicians with diagnosis and treatment processes while reducing waste, costs, and errors. All of this was aimed at improving patient care and reducing inconvenience from mistaken diagnoses or treatments or duplicate testing.
One key function of even the earliest CDS systems was to alert health care practitioners of potential problems. A physician might receive a notice that a patient recently received the same blood tests that he or she was about to order, or a pharmacist might receive a warning that the prescription he or she was about to fill caused a dangerous interaction with a drug the patient received from another pharmacy earlier. These alerts reduced costs and improved patient safety.
CDS systems can help the physician narrow potential diagnoses based on the patient's symptoms and history. They can determine what future conditions a patient might develop based on current and past health conditions, automatically add new information to the patient's records, and help automate the process of ordering routine tests and procedures. Some systems are basic and designed for limited functions, such as providing information about prescription drugs and identifying which ones are covered by a patient's insurance. Others are complicated, with multiple programs that can integrate patient records, diagnostic information, testing guidelines, and more.
CDS systems can be designed to work on standalone devices; on computers, phones, and tablets; and online. Proponents say the systems improve efficiency and reduce costs. They also save time that professionals can use to see more patients, thus increasing healthcare quality and outcomes.
Bibliography
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