A broad range of information systems can now generate patient-specific advice to aid clinical decision making.
Clinicians are confronted by increasing amounts of clinical data for each patient they treat as well as an exponentially increasing volume of relevant medical research. While electronic health records and databases help physicians manage this rising tide of information, patient-specific recommendations provided by clinical decision support systems can do even more by improving decision making and helping ensure patient safety. Examples of various types of clinical decision support systems include diagnostic support such as MYCIN and QMR, alerts and reminders based on the Arden Syntax, and patient management systems that use computer representations of patient care guidelines. With evidence supporting the effectiveness of all these systems, it is important to plan for decision support when designing and installing modern health information systems.