A clinical decision support application run through an electronic health record system did not contribute to improved vascular outcomes, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, MedPage Today reports.
Study Details
For the study, researchers from Canada's McMaster University divided 1,102 patients into two groups. All of the patients had diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension or another vascular condition.
Physicians used a Web-based vascular tracking and clinical decision support application while providing care for patients in the intervention group. The system created color-coded alerts in patients' EHRs to highlight certain vascular measurements.
Physicians did not use the Web-based tool while providing care to patients in the control group.
Study Findings
Researchers found no significant differences between the two patient groups for clinical outcomes.
However, the study found that patients in the intervention group reported improvements in their:
- Ability to improve their vascular health; and
- Continuity of care.
Researchers concluded that "clinicians are correct to remain skeptical about the cost effectiveness of [clinical decision support] systems and should continue to demand evidence that they improve patient outcomes" (Kaiser, MedPage Today, 10/25).