Benefits
Rationale
Drawbacks
Rationale
Integral components of
electronic health records
(EHR), such as CDSS,
prove to reduce medical
error and improve
patient outcomes
(Khairat et al., 2018)
CDSS can be
integrated into the
patient safety
spectrum to include
alerts, reminders, and
suggestions to assist
providers with
interpretation,
diagnosis, and
treatment (Khairat et
al., 2018). Patient
safety is improved
with reduction in
medication and
prescribing errors, as
well as preventing
adverse drug events
(Sutton et al., 2020).
System and content
maintenance are
included as a potential
for harm of CDSS
(Sutton et al., 2020)
Clinical decision
support can become
outdated and
malfunction if
proper maintenance
and review of the
programs is not
managed (Schaeffer,
2017). If a system is
not updated as
clinical practices are
changed, errors may
occur, so it is critical
for these systems to
have routine
updates, as well as
routine
maintenance.
Workflow improvement
(Sutton et al., 2020)
CDSS can enhance
and streamline
workflow in an EHR
with efficient and
accurate data retrieval
and presentation
(Schaefer, 2017 and
Sutton et al., 2020).
Schaefer et al., goes
on to say that efficient
and accurate data
benefits the entire
healthcare community
by improving
workflow through
health information
exchange and reducing
the need for paper
documentation
systems.
Alert Fatigue is
identified as potential
harm of CDDS (Sutton
et al., 2020).
Clinicians and
providers become
desensitized to alerts
and alarms over
time because of the
number of false-
positive and
unnecessary alarms
that occur. Up to
95% of alarms are
false positives
(Sutton et al., 2020).
Speaking from
personal experience,
there are so many
noises constantly
chiming in the
background that
nurses begin to
unintentionally tune
out the alerts and
alarms.
Cost containment
(Sutton et al., 2020)
CDSSs can identify
when duplicate tests
have been ordered and
CDSS lack supporting
evidence or
transparency (Khairat
Providers are less
likely to use CDSS
because the CDSS
offer more affordable
treatment and
medication options
(Sutton et al., 2020).
One of the cost
benefits I notice with
using the CDSS is
when a medication is
prescribed it can alert
the pharmacist and or
providers of the cost
and other more
affordable options. I
have also noticed
when I place an order
in the system for a
topical medication, the
system will alert me
the medication is a
duplicate or similar
order, and if the
patient has an allergy
that was left off of the
arm band or patient
unintentionally
omitted.
