Decision Support Tools
HIT systems provide a wide range of clinical decision support (CDS) tools that can expedite crucial decisions. The mobile devices of today have even furthered CDS benefits by providing these tools at the bedside or on-the-go. Advancements in speech recognition software may also enhance CDS mobile devices by allowing for hands-free navigation and documentation.
Do CDS tools already impact how you make decisions? If not, how might future decision support systems change the way in which you care for your patients?
To prepare:
Reflect on the information presented in the Learning Resources, focusing on the various types of decision support systems.
Recall which decision support tools are used in your practice.
Think about the needs met by these systems. How are providers, clinicians, and patients impacted by these tools?
Conduct further research to find a CDS tool that could further support or accelerate decision-making processes at your practice.
Write a cohesive scholarly response that addresses the following:
Evaluate the use of decision support tools in your practice setting.
Assess the impact that these decision support tools have had on providers, clinicians, and patients.
Identify and describe a CDS tool that could enhance decision-making processes at your practice. Explain how this specific CDS tool would support your practice’s information needs.
Readings
Course Text:Nursing Informatics: Where Technology and Caring Meet
Chapter 18, “Extending Care: Voice Technology”
Chapter 21, “Local Global Access: Virtual Learning Environments”
Chapter 18 provides an overview of the capability of voice assistive technologies to address the demands of health care environments. Chapter 21 features classroom technology trends that are equipping future nurses for practice.
Course Text: American Nurses Association (2015). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: Author.
“The Future of Nursing Informatics” (pp. 52-62)
“Integrated Functional Areas: Telehealth and Informatics” (pp. 36-37)
The excerpts found here provide an overview of future advancements of informational technology systems’ hardware and design models.
Article: Munih, M., & Bajd, T. (2010). VI.3. Rehabilitation robotics. Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 152, 353–366.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the MEDLINE with Full Text database.
In this article, the authors delve into the future of rehabilitation by examining the ways that virtual reality and robotics will transform exercise and management systems used by physical therapists.
Article: Nolan, R. P., Upshur, R. E., Lynn, H., Crichton, T., Rukholm, E., Stewart, D. E., . . . Chen, M. H. (2011). Therapeutic benefit of preventive telehealth counseling in the Community Outreach Heart Health and Risk Reduction Trial. The American Journal of Cardiology, 107(5), 690–696.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the ScienceDirect Health Sciences Subject Collection database.
The authors outline a clinical study that examined the benefits of telehealth counseling. They also analyze motivational interviewing as an agent to change daily behaviors and attitudes of those with cardiovascular disease.
Article: Singh, R., Mathiassen, L., Stachura, M. E., & Astapova, E. V. (2010). Sustainable rural telehealth innovation: A public health case study. Health Services Research, 45(4), 985–1004.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the MEDLINE with Full Text database.
This qualitative study examines previous telehealth implementations in efforts to improve future developments and sustainability in rural areas.
Article: Stewart, S., Hansen, T. S., & Carey, T. A. (2010). Opportunities for people with disabilities in the virtual world of second life. Rehabilitation Nursing, 35(6), 254-259.
Retrieved from the Walden Library using the ProQuest Central database.
Use this article to examine the physical and emotional benefits that virtual realities can bring to people with disabilities.
Website: Cisco. (n.d.). Industry solutions: Healthcare.
Retrieved October 14, 2011, from http://www.cisco.com/web/strategy/healthcare/index.html
Investigate the ways that Cisco Industry Solutions is working to bridge the gap between communication and technology for health care environments.
Website: Intuitive Surgical. (2010). da Vinci surgery.
Retrieved from http://www.intuitivesurgical.com/products/davinci_surgery.html
See this website to view video commentaries on the da Vinci Surgical System’s ability to revolutionize surgery experiences.
Website: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (n.d.). MIT media lab.
Retrieved October 14, 2011, from http://www.media.mit.edu/
View various technology integration stories in the field of health care at this website.
Website: McKesson Corporation. (2011). ROBOT-Rx. Retrieved from http://www.mckesson.com/en_us/McKesson.com/For%2BPharmacies/Inpatient/Pharmacy%2BAutomation/ROBOT-Rx.html
The McKesson Coporation illustrates how an automated, robotic system is revolutionizing the process of medication storage and dispensing.
Optional Resources
Article: Bryan, C., & Boren, S. A. (2008). The use and effectiveness of electronic clinical decision support tools in the ambulatory/primary care setting: A systematic review of the literature. Informatics in Primary Care, 16(2), 79–91.
Article: Feldman, L. (2010). Meaningful use: Hospitals advised to be thorough when deploying clinical decision support tools. Hospitals & Health Networks 84(5), 16.
