In the modern era of patient care, where hospitals have to manage numerous details and factors, that too under a great amount of pressure, the most tedious part of this job can be done by clinical decision support systems (CDSS).

Over the years, the CDSS has quickly become one of the most efficient and leading tools for healthcare providers, who are looking for an automated and specialized system to manage large volumes of data and be able to deliver efficient medical services to patients.

The popularity of CDSS can be certainly attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the major driving factor is that they enhance the quality of care to patients in a convenient way. 

A study by MarketsandMarkets shows that the global CDSS market is forecasted to expand from $1.2 billion in 2020 to $1.8 billion by 2025.

In this article, let us explore the role of CDSS in revolutionizing healthcare delivery within hospital settings through enhancing patient care.

Providing Real-time Decision Support: A Round-the-clock Helping Hand

Modern CDSS are equipped to analyze data and automatically generate alerts, reminding patients of doctor visits or about routine orders of medicines, especially while dealing with chronic diseases.

For instance, for a patient taken to a hospital with a record of cardiovascular ailments, LDL levels can trigger the CDS module for an alert. At times, for patients with diabetes, the system can send reminders to a nurse to measure blood glucose routinely to prevent hypoglycemic episodes.

Yale and Mayo Clinic, USA have developed a specialized CDSS application for patients with real-time decision support that is showing potential outcomes in the treatment of head injuries.

Improved Diagnostic Process: Key to enhanced patient care

The pivotal advantage of implementing a CDSS in a hospital setting is its precise mechanism for diagnosing patients. An approach known as case-based reasoning (CBR), in combination with AI can aid doctors in making precise decisions on a patient’s health. CDSS integrated with the EHR system can access patient data and suggest an array of possible diagnoses.

For instance, a machine-learning-powered CDSS implemented at the University of Pennsylvania was able to lower the sepsis detection time by 12 hours. This is a huge achievement with life-saving potential for patients suffering from sepsis.  

Prevention of Medication Errors: Enhanced Patient Safety

Around 7000 to 9000 patients in the USA die annually because of medication errors. Moreover, several people go through complications caused by inappropriate medicines, and improper or duplicate dosage, increasing treatment costs by more than USD 40 billion annually. 

A study reveals that 75% of all medication errors are caused by distraction. A CDSS module can avoid this by automating the order process and generating alerts at the right time.

In addition, dosing errors account for over 60% of all prescribing mistakes. However, through CDSS, the software component can generate a personalized list of recommended dosages for a specific medicine.

Moreover, the CDSS can address the problem of duplicate therapy by comparing a newly introduced medication with the active ingredients of drugs in a patient’s profile. If a similarity is detected, the system generates an alert, eliminating the chance of overdose.

Streamlining Hospital Administration: Increasing Accuracy and Saving Time

CDSS involves improved document flow and accuracy in hospitals. A properly set up CDSS system can aid physicians in filling out clinical documentation.

Mayo Clinic, USA is implementing a CDSS for nurses which is delivering nurses precise and detailed phone screenings of patients looking for advice or appointments.

A study published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research found that CDSS implementation could increase efficiency in clinical decision-making and save time for healthcare providers.  

Reduce Hospital Readmissions and Cutting Costs

CDSS greatly aids in reducing readmission rates, resulting in cost savings through better diagnostic practices and effective treatment strategies.

An important example is the way CDSS is lowering the number of imaging sessions, saving a lot of costs simply by comparing patients’ symptoms with a database of previous cases.

Harding University in collaboration with the Unity Health-White County Medical Center has revealed that implementing the CDSS in combination with the genetic testing data can lower the emergency department visits by more than 40%, and lower the hospital readmissions by over 50%.

One report published in the journal “NPJ Digital Medicine” revealed that CDSSs save hospital units hundreds of thousands of dollars annually through alerting of instances of over-the-board medical tests.

Challenges of implementing CDSS and the Prospective WayOuts

Alert Fatigue Leading to Frustration

Regarding CDSS, alert fatigue is one of the major reasons behind irritation. Multiple alerts of varying degrees and importance continue to constantly pop up on the screen and lead to distraction. A balance between high and low-priority alerts involving machine learning mechanisms can aid in avoiding such disruptions.

Lack of Interoperability

Data silos and poor interoperability are other issues related to CDSS. Creating a system that supports all modern standards like HL7 and FHIR while carefully picking compliant data sources can highly help in this regard.

Need to Depend on external data sources

Error-prone sources of data in the CDSS system, that are not updated, may lead to dangerous consequences. Authentic data sources and regular updates can save from those anomalies.

Privacy Concerns and Safety Issues

CDSS is associated with risks of storing and transferring sensitive patient data, and compliance with the Health Insurance. Using secure data transfer protocols and adhering to high-security standards involving compliant systems can help to avoid these issues.

To Wrap Up

Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) are rapidly transforming hospitals into patient-centric care hubs. With their ability to provide real-time decision support, improve diagnostics, prevent medication errors, and streamline administration, CDSS holds immense potential to revolutionize healthcare delivery.

Codewave EIT possesses the expertise and experience to design and implement cutting-edge CDSS solutions that cater to your hospital’s unique needs. We leverage the power of AI, machine learning, and data analytics to build robust systems that deliver:

• Enhanced Patient Care: Our CDSS solutions empower healthcare providers with accurate data-driven insights, leading to improved diagnoses, personalized treatment plans, and reduced readmission rates.
• Streamlined Operations: We automate administrative tasks, improve documentation accuracy, and optimize workflows, freeing up valuable time for your staff to focus on patient care.
• Cost Savings: Our solutions help reduce medication errors, unnecessary tests, and hospital readmissions, leading to significant cost savings and improved financial performance.

Don’t wait to unlock the potential of CDSS for your hospital. Contact our team and let’s work together to build a future of smarter, safer, and more efficient healthcare.