What's New | May 26, 2010

Clinical Decision Support Tools

Clinical decisionmaking has become increasingly complex. Health care professionals are turning to decision support tools defined broadly as clinical systems, applications, or processes to optimize clinical decisionmaking at the point of care. These tools range from computerized alerts and reminders, clinical guidelines, and order sets to documentation templates, diagnostic support, and patient data reports.

The featured Innovations describe three different programs that have used clinical decision support tools to improve the quality of patient care.

The featured QualityTools provide health care professionals with a range of practical clinical decision support tools.

Featured Innovations:

• Electronic Referrals and Communications Reduce Wait Times for Specialty Appointments and Improve Clinician Communication and Quality of Care

• Pathology Team Provides Patient-Specific Interpretations of Test Results, Reducing Ordering Errors and Speeding Up Diagnostic Process
with Expert Commentary

• Providing Real-Time Information and Documentation Capabilities at Point of Care Reduces Documentation Time and Generates Positive Patient Feedback

Featured QualityTools:

• Pediatric Rules and Reminders
Developed by Partners HealthCare System Quality Improvement Group

• Prediction Tools
Developed by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center

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Also in This Issue:

Innovations >

• Automated Clinician Prompts and Referrals Facilitate Access to Counseling Services, Leading to Positive Behavior Changes Among Patients
with Expert Commentary

• Community-Wide Education, Trained Facilitators, and Improved Processes Lead to More Advance Care Planning, Consistency Between Plans and End-of-Life Decisions, and Low Care Costs

• Medicaid Managed Care Plan Provides Reports, Guidelines, and Education Materials to Physicians, Reducing Inappropriate Prescribing of Antibiotics to Children and Adolescents

• Revamped Processes Eliminate Adverse Events and Near Misses in Hospital Endoscopy Department

QualityTools >

• Clinical Care Guidelines: Asthma
Developed by University of Michigan Health System

• Pediatric Documentation Templates
Developed by Partners Quality Improvement Group

• Pediatric Symptom Checklist
Developed by Bright Futures at Georgetown University; Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Research Program; Massachusetts General Hospital

• The Med Form
Developed by Arizona Hospital and Healthcare Association; Arizona Medical Association; Arizona Partnership for Implementing Patient Safety; Health Services Advisory Group