Clinical decision support. How CDS tools impact patient care outcomes.

Clinical decision support tools are important components of the electronic health record and can directly improve patient care outcomes and the performance of healthcare organizations. These tools can be used within order sets, electronic alerts, reference materials that are readily available, reports related to patient data, as well as clinical guidelines that were developed by regulatory agencies The development and use of CDS tools at the point of care offers clinicians the ability to analyze and work with patient data in real-time while making critical decisions. In the future, CDS tools will be important when changes in financial reimbursement related to patient care outcomes become the primary focus for many insurance-related organizations. This financial shift will have a tremendous impact on healthcare organizations bottom line. This article presents outcome data resulting from the implementation of several electronic CDS tools within a community hospital where all physicians enter orders electronically and clinical staff use electronic documentation.