CDSS: Improving Healthcare Through Technology - Essay Sample

How CDSS Can Improve HealthCare

On this section, the different ways in which the CDSS technology has been used to provide better healthcare have been discussed. CDSS technology in healthcare can be used in the prescription sector, clinical documentation, data presentations, pathway support, information and guidance provision, and reminders and alerts purpose (Kawamoto, Houlihan, Balas, & Lobach, 2005). The types categorized in the paper are for helping understand the technology, but not rigid categories. It is important to note that CDSS technology is growing fast with new inventions and studies being reported every day.

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Prescription Services

To improve drug prescriptions, CDSS can be implemented to undertake several tasks. The technology can prompt the clinician to give the correct additional order in cases of highly toxic medications. In some cases, the system can also suggest the best medication choices for patients in relation to factors such as their age and liver or kidney condition (Kuperman et al., 2007). When a patient requires pre-medications for specific health procedures and medication or requires to take certain antibiotics, the system provides consequent drugs options for safety purposes (Kawamoto et al., 2005). For some conditions, prescription or hospital services are needed in a set of different drugs or procedures. Such circumstances include admissions and ambulatory services, where CDSS provides the required set in the form of a checklist (Romano & Stafford, 2011). Also, for conditions such as heart attack, a specific set of medication is required, which can be prescribed by the system within seconds. Surgeons can use the system while making operation-related medication decisions using optimized suggestions from the system. On dosage issue, the software can easily calculate an algorithm based on factors such as weight, age, or kidney and liver condition.

Clinical Documentation

CDSS technology can be used in providing clinicians or interested persons with different healthcare forms or templates. For example, the system can give the patients self-assessment templates such as pre-visit forms for assessing the current health conditions and medications. The technology can also provide patient assessment assistant services in areas such as blood pressure and pain. While integrated with EHR, it contains documents such as patient examination templates and generates referral forms (Fundamental Issues, 2016). The technology can also offer multidisciplinary models of documentations, like availing both emergency and ambulatory care documents. Furthermore, dataflow sheets such as immunization documentation, which involves data entry templates and presentations can be generated by CDSS technology (Kawamoto et al., 2005).

Data Presentations

The technology has been used in offering the relevant data at the different stages of healthcare. Data representation in this case is use of the correct format required to report a patient's condition (Kawamoto et al., 2005). Such information includes allergies, required lad tests, and medication costs. CDSS also helps clinicians with the proper presentations on adherence to the prescribed medication and checkups on treatment feedback (Fundamental Issues, 2016). Given that there is a standard method for reporting healthcare data, the technology helps maintain the methodology for easier understanding (Kuperman et al., 2007). The technology can also manage activities such as adverse drug events, names of patients in a treatment program or under a new or particular medication withdrawn for adverse effects. Data such as antibiotics sensitivities experienced in the hospital is crucial while making prescriptions, and CDSS has provided the correct parameter reports for presenting such information. Finally, technology can help with operation room schedules and ED tracking in healthcare facilities (Fundamental Issues, 2016).

Pathway

Support In some cases, a patient may require multistep care support. CDSS technology provides a protocol to be followed during such matters, which in most cases are highly sensitive yet can be easily forgotten (Fundamental Issues, 2016). The support system is made possible by the availability of tools that enable the software to monitor inpatient treatment pathway, step by step, highlighting the most critical parts. Such cases include pneumonia treatments and multi-cycle chemotherapy sessions, either for the outpatients or inpatients. Such systems can also make it possible for providing treatment for diseases that repeatedly occur over a long period (Kuperman et al., 2007). A computer-based algorithm can be developed to manage a treatment plan for illnesses such as hyperlipidemia, a disease that does not require admission and can affect many people at the same time.

Information and Guidance Provision

In the healthcare industry, information and knowledge are primary contributors to excellent services. CDSS makes it possible for providers to have reliable references or guidance while making decisions or following a procedure. The technology provides both context-sensitive and context-insensitive recommendations (Kuperman et al., 2007). The system is connected to the EHR and the hospital portal to provide general information such as levels of a treatment program, which can be categorized under context insensitive (Fundamental Issues, 2016). For context-sensitive references, more details and factual information is provided by the system. Data relating directly to specific matters such as the side effects of certain treatment plans or medication fall under the context-sensitive category. CDSS delivers the information and guidelines through a connection via the intranet, where even the hospital's instructions are accessible.

Reminders and Alerts Purpose

The CDSS program is integrated with technologies such as data warehousing to provide alerts during possible hazards or errors (Fundamental Issues, 2016). Alerts and reminders are some of the most significant functions of CDSS in a healthcare facility. In the drugs prescription task, the system provides alerts for allergies, prescription interactions with factors such as food or pregnancy, overdose or underdose, and wrong medications among other factors (Kuperman et al., 2007). For quality care provision, the technology has disease management programs, which give alerts and reminders at different levels of the treatment. Reminders to add patient risk factors data such as physical abuse, alcoholism or smoking, nutrition information, and suicidal possibilities are also essential to mention (Romano & Stafford, 2011).

CDSS Technology Benefits

As earlier stated, CDSS technology has been adversely implemented in the last decade. The tremendous development of the technology has continually been experienced through integration with more advanced concepts such as data warehousing to optimize its benefits. More healthcare facilities are introducing the technology due to evidence of the positive res...