Clinical Decision-Support Tools Becoming More Available, CHCF Study Finds
Clinical decision-support tools are becoming "increasingly available" to the 60% of doctors nationwide who belong to smaller practices, according to a new report commissioned by the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF release, 10/28). The report, "Clinical Decision Support for the Independent Physician Practice," offers an overview of tools currently available and includes case studies of physicians in independent practices that are using them. The report targets electronic support tools that:
- Bring "relevant clinical knowledge" to the point of care to support decisions about individual patients;
- Assist in managing individual patients by making it easy to assemble all relevant information and to identify the most appropriate interventions; and
- Apply care recommendations across a population of patients by developing appropriate care plans during patient encounters and "reaching out" to patients for follow-ups to avoid gaps in care (Metzger/MacDonald, "Clinical Decision Support for the Independent Physician Practice" abstract, 10/28).
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