What is Clinical Decision Support (CDS)? It is a support system that makes physicians, patients or other support staff with the knowledge and person-specific information that helps them take better decisions.
EHR technology uses CDS tools to accomplish complex tasks that involve removing medical errors and increasing accuracy of the decision’s need to be made as a provider, staff or other healthcare professionals. CDS tools include: computerized alerts, reminders for both providers and patients, documentation templates.
At times, certified EHR systems allow providers to design their own clinical support rules. It allows flexibility and greater functionality for the provider allowing him to perform decision making tasks efficiently and effectively.
Some basic benefits of using CDS include improvement of patient quality care, and this patient satisfaction as a result improves. Implementation of clinical decision support and tracking patient compliance is one of the core measures needed to achieve Meaningful Use Stage 1 if providers and practices want to earn incentives from Medicare EHR incentives.
Patient portal is also such CDS tool that helps in improving the workflow of the practice by scheduling the appointment electronically. When needed it helps to reschedule the appointment for the patients as well. By making use of patient portal providers can identity beforehand medical issues of the patient and can suggest whether they need to revisit the practice or not. It saves time, energy at both ends. It also increases efficiency of the provider and his practice. The goal of the practice should be to deliver results. By making the life of the patient easier through engaging patient helps in decision making.
The use of tools that improves the care delivery process for the patient is a fulfilling process in terms of human satisfaction. As the EHR users keep on feeding their input regarding the improvements they need in the tools, this process can be made more accurate.
