In the current era of digitization, it is essential to understand that technology has undoubtedly transformed the entire industry in a much more impactful and positive manner. During recent years, the healthcare sphere has witnessed rapid growth in technological advancements that have helped in improving care quality, increasing healthcare accessibility, and ultimately enhancing patient outcomes. A Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) used by physicians is a program module that helps the HCPs make decisions at the point of care.
They face complex decision-making processes in their daily life, but with CDSS, there is patient safety and reduced misdiagnoses. In this industry, the right decisions save lives, while the wrong ones lead to grave consequences.
There are two types of CDSS: Knowledge-based and Non-Knowledge based. The first applies rules to patient data using an inference engine and then displays the final results. However, the latter relies on machine learning.
What is the Clinical Decision Support System?
As the term suggests, it is a computer-based program that analyzes data within EHRs (Electronic Health Records) to provide prompts and reminders to assist the HCPs (Healthcare Professionals) in implementing evidence-based clinical guidelines at the point of care.
In simple terms, it facilitates care in numerous ways. This includes providing info on treatment protocols, prompting questions on medication adherence, and providing customised recommendations.
Moreover, this system helps in saving a lot of money by improving overall patient care and reducing medication errors. This is because it enhances patient care by nullifying unnecessary tests and minimizing expenditure.
What are its advantages?
Since the first use of this system in the 70s, it has seen a significant transformation over the years. Furthermore, it has many benefits to offer, making the work of professionals much more accessible.
Improved Patient Outcomes
It provides physicians with much more accurate and relevant information about the patient. This leads to better diagnoses and treatment, ultimately improving patient outcomes. Moreover, it offers several decision support modes, including timely alerts reminders, alerts, advice, and suggestions for much more efficient patient care.
Reduced Medical Errors
As per a recently published study, around 7000-9000 patients in the USA (United States of America) lose their lives just because of medication errors. However, the addition of a Clinical Decision Support System to Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems has reduced the error rates.
CDSS helps prevent medication errors and misdiagnoses by alerting healthcare professionals and clinicians to potential issues. These issues include drug interactions or dosing errors.
Increased Efficiency
CDSS helps streamline workflow processes by automating routine tasks such as medication orders, lab result analysis, and test ordering. This allows the professionals to focus on more complex tasks as the workload is reduced.
Conclusion
Technology, when executed in the proper manner, helps in raising the value of your brand. Especially in the healthcare sector, it is pertinent to mention that technology has transformed it thoroughly, making the lives of professionals and potential patients much easy.
