Decision Support Systems and Healthcare Delivery
Clinical decision support systems can help providers to analyze the
information found in EHRs and provide reminders to help them make
decisions to enhance and improve patient care. According to the
CDC (2021), there is strong evidence that suggests the using
decisions support systems is beneficial. Some of the noted benefits
of clinical decision support systems include improving the
performance of clinicians and improving preventive care (Cresswell
et al., 2013). Information overload can be a challenge for providers,
and the amount of information that is stored in EHRs can at times be
overwhelming. However, clinical decision support systems can help
clinicians to process and make sense of this information, and make
sure that all the necessary data is considered when making decisions
affecting patient care.
Technology Diffusion in Healthcare
Technology has had many different benefits on healthcare. b
Technology diffusion is the acceptance and spread of technology in
the healthcare industry (Shi & Singh, 2017). Technology can help to
improve patient care, promote public health, improve workflows,
improve access, and create efficiencies (AIMS, 2019). Even though
technological advances in healthcare have had many positive impacts
on the healthcare industry, one area where technology has presented
many challenges is in the area of costs. Technological advancements
have been one of the leading reasons for the increase in medical
costs and healthcare spending in recent years (Shi & Singh, 2017).
However, the willingness of insurance companies to cover these
expenses has also helped to promote the development and growth of
these technologies.
b
References
AIMS Education. (2019, June 2). The Impact of Technology in
Healthcare. https://aimseducation.edu/blog/the-impact-of-
technology-on-healthcare#
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC]. (2021).
Implementing Clinical Decision Support Systems. Retrieved April 13,
2022 from https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/pubs/guides/best-
practices/clinical-decision-
support.htm#:~:text=Clinical%20decision%20support%20systems%2
0(CDSS,at%20the%20point%20of%20care.
Cresswell, K., Majeed, A., Bates, D., & Sheikh, A. (2013).
Computerised decision support systems for healthcare professionals:
an interpretative review. Journal of Innovation in Health Informatics,
20(2), 115-128. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.14236/jhi.v20i2.32
Shi, L. & Singh, D. (2017). Essentials of the U.S. Health Care System.
Burlington, Massachusetts: Jones & Bartlett Learning
