Introduction
Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) has contributed immensely to healthcare service delivery. The system has improved the management of patients’ information and details (Hebda & Czar, 2009). DCSS is an electronic information system developed to aid medical and organizational functions. The computerized systems assist clinicians and managers to gather information from varying databases. Generated information is used to aid healthcare service delivery decision-making. The system provides patient-centered and evidence-based healthcare services. Indicatively, DCSS has transformed structures and organizational ethos for offering healthcare. This paper discusses the purposes of DCSS in healthcare delivery. It also summarizes the benefits of “Computerized Physician Order Entry” (CPOE) together with electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) (Hebda & Czar, 2009).
The Purposes of CDSS
The system gathers information and evidence from diverse sources and analyses them to aid decision-making. It provides clinicians with relevant information that facilitates appropriate decision-making regarding patients’ health. Indeed, such information entails symptoms, diagnosis, laboratory tests, disease management strategies, and illnesses (Hebda & Czar, 2009). The system also forms an integral part of electronic health registration. This is because it provides alerts and suggestions based on medical regulations. Alerts provided by the system vary from vital laboratory results and medication types. These are conveyed to clinicians through telephone calls, email, and pager among others.
The “export support system” component conveys vital information provided by specialists in diverse fields of medicine to aid decision-making (Hebda & Czar, 2009).
Benefits of CPOE and E-prescribing
CPOE entails recording prescription orders and doctor instructions electronically. The system enables physicians to minimize decision-making errors associated with ineligible handwriting and dictation of drugs orders (Subramanian, Hoover, Gilman, Field et al., 2007). The CPOE system is frequently used with electronic prescribing methods. They alert doctors and clinicians about specific information such as patients’ allergy conditions, drugs and appropriate medications. Most importantly, CPOE saves healthcare institutions colossal amounts of money because of accuracy and minimized mistake incidences.
CPOE enables clinicians in nursing homes to work efficiently. Pharmacies and laboratory operators have reported increased efficiency upon implementing CPOE. The billing department can also minimize errors associated with poor instructions. CPOE also enables healthcare institutions to generate patient education materials (Subramanian et al., 2007). Furthermore, CPOE enhances the accessibility of guidelines and norms required for appropriate prescription. The system also minimizes medical costs related to adverse medicine events. CPOE promotes a patient-centered service delivery approach, which enhances the quality of life for all sick people. Evidently, CPOE is crucial for enhancing the ability to undertake studies on how to improve patient care.
E – Prescribing is the application of electronic methods to boost communication about drug orders, administration, and medicines distribution through facts and provides extensive assessment of medication and drug use activities. E – Prescribing benefits different people including doctors, administrators, and pharmacists among others (NHS, 2009). E – Prescribing allows doctors to offer instructions remotely. Furthermore, service providers are capable of gaining decision support systems. The system also enables doctors to use drug combinations in pre-specified circumstances (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, 2009). Healthcare providers can also access computerized records about patients’ health conditions.
Conclusion
The emergence of health informatics has contributed immensely to automating service delivery in the healthcare sector. The computerization of service delivery has augmented efficiency and accuracy in decision-making. Notably, CDSS is already having notable impacts in the healthcare sector.
References
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (2009). E-prescribing. Web.
Hebda, T & Czar, P. (2009). Handbook of informatics for nurses & health care professionals. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall.
NHS. (2009). Electronic prescribing in hospitals Challenges and lessons learned. Web.
Subramanian, S., Hoover, S., Gilman, B., Field, T., Mutter, R and Gurwitz, J. (2007). Computerized Physician Order Entry with Clinical Decision Support in Long-Term Care Facilities: Costs and Benefits to Stakeholders. JAGS, 55:1451–1457.