Decision Support Systems
Decision Support System is a computerized information system used in organizations to help in decision making. Decision Support Systems improves human intelligence, and the systems are applied in the health care sector to analyze a large amount of data and compile information that is used in solving health care problems. However, Decision Support Systems are not perfect because machines can fail. Also, Decision Support Systems relies on quantifiable data from clinicians, which causes clinicians to develop fatigue. Decision Support Systems improves patients’ care, but the systems should not be over-relied because of their limitations.
The goal of all health care providers is to deliver quality health care services to the patients. Many countries have heavily invested in achieving quality health care. The United States Health Department announces its plans to invest $840 million over four on Decision Support Systems that will assist in transforming clinical practice in the country (Miliard, 2015). Decision Support Systems assists clinicians to easily analyze patients’ data. One of the goals that led the United States to invest heavily on the Decision Support Systems is to avoid unnecessary hospitalizations because Decision Support Systems have a benefit of promoting correct diagnosis. The use of Decision Support Systems technology in the health care sector promotes efficiency in clinician processes (Pitt, 2016). Unnecessary testing and unsafe medical procedures are two major factors affecting the quality of health care services. The problem of unnecessary testing causes medical sectors to spend many resources for no good reasons. The problem can be avoided through the use of Decision Support Systems technology. The Decision Support Systems allows clinicians to enter the health signs of the patient, and the system electronically provides the health history of the patient, which helps to avoid the problem of unnecessary testing. In addition, Decision Support Systems suggests to the clinicians on the right medical procedure to take, which enhances patients’ safety. Although Decision Support Systems are crucial in enhancing quality care, the technology has several limitations.
If the Decision Support Systems are incorrectly implemented or used in the wrong way, the advantages of the technology can be negated, resulting in patient harm (Miliard, 2017). The Decision Support Systems are complex systems that can cause a great damage when improperly handled by the clinicians. Decision Support Systems are designed for specific needs. Lack of adequate technology among the clinicians causes some clinicians to use Decision Support Systems for wrong patients’ needs. As a result, when the Decision Support Systems are used for different needs from the needs they are specifically designed for, they result to wrong diagnosis that can lead to adverse health effects to the patients. Also, the use of Decision Support Systems in clinical practices causes some clinicians to over-depend on the systems. The Decision Support Systems have high speed if analyzing patients’ data, and this makes some clinicians stop applying their brains because they depend on the Decision Support Systems. When the systems fail, the clinicians are left confused about what to do because of their over-reliance on the systems technology, which causes adverse effects on patients. The limitations of the Decision Support Systems questions on their effectiveness in the field of the health sector.
In sum, Decision Support Systems are computerized information systems used by organization in decision making. The technology of Decision Support Systems has great application in the health care sector. Many states have heavily invested in the Decision Support Systems in their efforts of improving clinical practices. Correct diagnosis and accurate data processing are some benefits of using Decision Support Systems in the health care sector. Decision Support Systems depend on human technology that can fail anytime causing adverse effects to the patients, which is a major limitation of using Decision Support Systems in the healthcare sector.
References
Miliard, M. (2015). Clinical decision support: no longer just a nice-to-have.
Miliard, M. (2017). Top 10 patient safety concerns for 2017, according to ECRI.
Pitt, M., Monks, T., Crowe, S., & Vasilakis, C. (2016). Systems modelling and simulation in health service design, delivery and decision making. BMJ Qual Saf, 25(1), 38-45.