Chapter 1: "Approaching Clinical Decision Support in Medication Management"

To further its mission of supporting the use of health information technology (health IT) to drive improvements in health care outcomes, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is providing online access to the first chapter of Improving Medication Use and Outcomes with Clinical Decision Support: A Step-by-Step Guide, which is designed for implementers of clinical decision support (CDS) tools.  Chapter 1 of this new guide outlines foundational elements for applying CDS to medication management, including:

• The 'CDS Five Rights' approach (getting the right information to the right stakeholder, at the right point in workflow, through the right channel, and the right format).
• Steps in the medication management cycle and opportunities for applying CDS to improve medication use and outcomes.
• Current and desired future states of CDS use for medication management.
• An overview of the CDS medication management literature.

The guide is cosponsored by AHRQ, the Scottsdale Institute, three clinical information system vendors (Epic System Corporation, Eclipsys Corporation, and Computer Programs and Systems, Inc.), and Advocate Health Care and Memorial Hermann Health Systems. The guide builds on the framework previously presented in Improving Outcomes with Clinical Decision Support: an Implementer's Guide.*

To read the first chapter, visit http://healthit.ahrq.gov/images/mar09_cds_book_chapter/cds_medmgmnt_ch_1_sec_1_introduction.htm.

For information on obtaining copies of the complete guide, visit the Health Information Management Systems Society Web site at http://marketplace.himss.org/acct618b/Default.aspx?tabid=44&action=INVProductDetails&args=963&BookTitle=HIMSS%20Store%20-%20Improving%20Medication%20Use%20and%20Outcomes%20with%20CDS.

*Osheroff JA, Pifer EA, Teich JM, et al. Improving outcomes with clinical decision support: an implementer's guide. Boca Raton: Productivity Press; 2005.