This means that clinicians are missing out on the way that a streamlined CDS strategy and access to the best structured data could help them to address some of the main challenges they face in delivering top quality patient care.

For hospitals themselves, a more strategic approach to CDS adoption could also enable them to deliver the improvements in care and treatment outcomes that are a key focus of ambitious digital transformation targets for healthcare in both nations.

A CDS system brings a number of advantages, not least access to a global database and knowledge pool that can increase the range of treatment options and care pathways for clinicians at key decision-making moments on a patient’s journey.

CLINICAL INCLUSION

By including clinicians in the development of a CDS strategy and making the most appropriate system choice, decision makers have a great opportunity to alleviate some of the most critical pressure points in the hospital, as well as to encourage best practice in data sharing and the use of structured content among all stakeholders.

Listening to the preferences of clinicians who want the flexibility of being able to combine templates and free text in recording treatment events, and to prioritise alerts, will help improve end-user engagement and reduce the risk of alert fatigue which can otherwise lead to errors and delays in patient care.

A CDS strategy based on a dynamic relationship with a trusted provider with international experience, who specialises in structured health content, is more likely to influence the development of a customised system that meets the needs of clinicians in their own hospital’s setting and gives them instant access to data that enables them to make better informed decisions.

A CDS system can also involve the patient themselves in their own care journey, with a mobile app keeping them informed with relevant structured content as well as enabling interactions and data sharing with their physician.

A new white paper from Elsevier - A Decision Maker’s Guide to Building a Successful Clinical Decision Support Strategy – reveals how CDS tools can help to bridge these critical information gaps for clinicians in KSA and UAE hospitals.