From the Editor: The Elements of Evidence
This month’s cover story highlights efforts at several facilities to integrate evidence-based medicine in clinical decision support systems. The value of doing so is becoming increasingly clear—implementation issues, costs and time notwithstanding. Decision support is one of the cornerstones of the recently announced final rule for meaningful use and healthcare in America is now solidly on a path toward a time when data is just as important (and only as good) as the infrastructures that gather, filter and report them.
Your colleagues profiled in the following pages have implemented CDS systems to get more evidence to clinicians in a more timely way. But they also know that not all medicine is evidence-based, and the best clinical decision support isn’t always electronic.
Calculating the value of an intangible isn’t always easy, of course. “Proving the benefit of the human element is a somewhat more difficult—but from a leadership standpoint, I think that has been one of the most important elements of success,” says Robert Murphy, MD, chief medical informatics officer at Memorial Hermann Healthcare System.
“At a certain point, it’s very helpful for two clinicians or a physician and a nurse to get together and talk.”
Harris R. Stutman, MD, executive director of Clinical Informatics and Research at MemorialCare Health System, echoes Murphy’s sentiments. “We found along the way that there is a lot of magic built into any non-electronic system, and that you have to understand very well as you convert to an electronic world. One of the things you can lose in an electronic implementation is the things that happen when doctors talk to pharmacists, or to nurses, or when nurses talk to pharmacist,” says Stutman.
Clearly, experienced-based medicine still has a vital place.
Your colleagues profiled in the following pages have implemented CDS systems to get more evidence to clinicians in a more timely way. But they also know that not all medicine is evidence-based, and the best clinical decision support isn’t always electronic.
Calculating the value of an intangible isn’t always easy, of course. “Proving the benefit of the human element is a somewhat more difficult—but from a leadership standpoint, I think that has been one of the most important elements of success,” says Robert Murphy, MD, chief medical informatics officer at Memorial Hermann Healthcare System.
“At a certain point, it’s very helpful for two clinicians or a physician and a nurse to get together and talk.”
Harris R. Stutman, MD, executive director of Clinical Informatics and Research at MemorialCare Health System, echoes Murphy’s sentiments. “We found along the way that there is a lot of magic built into any non-electronic system, and that you have to understand very well as you convert to an electronic world. One of the things you can lose in an electronic implementation is the things that happen when doctors talk to pharmacists, or to nurses, or when nurses talk to pharmacist,” says Stutman.
Clearly, experienced-based medicine still has a vital place.