Clinical decision support software was associated with an improvement in physicians' antibiotic prescribing behavior in a Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association literature review.
In the review, researchers analyzed seven studies conducted in America. Although the studies varied significantly in the percent of patient visits that triggered CDS alerts, five of the seven studies showed CDS to have a positive effect on antibiotic prescribing. The largest improvements were seen with CDS systems that automatically provided decision support rather than only when prompted by the provider.
The researchers conclude CDS has the potential to improve antibiotic prescribing behaviors.
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