Decision Support

System
MIS Assignment

Document by: Yash Raj

Sharan
BFT/15/123

Decision Support System

MEANING
A DSS is a collection of integrated software applications and hardware that
form the backbone of an organizations decision making process from
useful information like data, documents , personal knowledge and
business model to identify and solve the problem.
EXAMPLES: product pricing, profitability forecasting, and risk analysis
systems etc.
DSS OBJECTIVES
Increase the effectiveness of the manager's decision-making process.
Supports the manager in the decision-making process but does not
replace it.
Improve the directors effectiveness of decision making
.
CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA: RELATIONSHIP WITH USER

Passive Models :DSS that just collect data and organize it effectively are usually called
passive models, they do not suggest a specific decision, and they only
reveal the data.
Active Decision Support System:An active decision support system actually processes data and explicitly
shows solutions based upon that data.
Cooperative DSS:A cooperative DSS allows the decision maker (or its advisor) to modify,
complete, or refine the decision suggestions provided by the system,
before sending them back to the system for validation. The system again
improves, completes, and refines the suggestions of the decision maker
and sends them back to her for validation. The whole process then starts
again, until a consolidated solution is generated.
CLASSIFICATION CRITERIA:
MODE OF ASSISTANCE

 Communication-driven:A communication-driven DSS supports more than one person working on a

shared task; examples include integrated tools like Microsoft's NetMeeting
or Groove.
Data-driven DSS:A data-driven DSS or data-oriented DSS emphasizes access to and
manipulation of a time series of internal company data and, sometimes,
external data.
Document-driven DSS:A document-driven DSS manages, retrieves, and manipulates unstructured
information in a variety of electronic formats
Knowledge-driven DSS:
A knowledge-driven DSS provides specialized problem-solving expertise
stored as facts, rules, procedures, or in similar structures.
Model-driven DSS:
A model-driven DSS emphasizes access to and manipulation of a
statistical, financial, optimization, or simulation model.
CLINICAL DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM
Examples: Prescriptor, Diagnosis Pro, Clinical Rules, Esagil, Isabel, LitmusDX,
LogicNets, SimulConsult
Definition
A clinical decision-support system is a computer program designed to help
health professionals make clinical decisions.
Is a computer system that deals with clinical data or medical knowledge is
intended to provide decision support.
Categories
Diagnostic assistance
Therapy critiquing and planning
Image recognition and interpretation
System architecture
Tools for information management
Tools for focusing attention
Patient specific consultation
Characterizing Decision-Support Systems
System function
Determining what is true about a patient (e.g. correct diagnosis)

 Determining what to do (what test to order, to treat or not, what

therapy plan )
The mode for giving advice
Passive role (physician uses the system when advice needed)
Active role (the system gives advice automatically under certain
conditions)
Need for CDSS
Limited resources - increased demand, Physicians are overwhelmed.
Insufficient time available for diagnosis and treatment.
Need for systems that can improve health care processes.
Possible Disadvantages of CDSS
Changing relation between patient and the physician
Limiting professionals possibilities for independent problem solving
Legal implications - with whom does the responsibility lie?
Challenges to Implementation of CDSS
Clinical challenges:
No clinical database stores all information that is self sufficient or
complete
Computers can assist but cant replace human
Lack in integration of components of CDSS
Deficiency in planning for how the clinician will actually use the product in
situation
CDSSs that are aimed at the diagnostic tasks have found success but are
often very limited in utilization and scope
Technical challenges:
difficulty in incorporating the extensive quantity of clinical research being
published on an ongoing basis
Biological systems are complicated, and a clinical decision may utilize an
enormous data
Cost and Evaluation:
Different CDSSs serve for different purposes, there is no common method
which applies to all such systems
Alert fatigue:
When clinicians are exposed to too many clinical decision support alerts they
may eventually stop responding to them.

The alert was not serious, was irrelevant, or was shown

repeatedly
Approach to overcome challenges
To increase user acceptance
By motivation, training and education of the clinical & non clinical staff for
using the system.
Developing better user interfaces. This could be done by involving the
user at the design stage. Keeping their needs and desires in mind the
system should be developed.
Convenience of the end user should be kept in mind at designing stage.

Constraints under which the user works should be considered at this

stage.
CDSS and HER
Electronic Heath Record is a systematic collection of electronic health
information about an individual patient or population
EHR makes medical data portable and easily transferable
It is beneficial to have a fully integrated CDSS and EHR
CDSS will be most beneficial once the healthcare facility is 100%
electronic
electronic health records are the way of the future for healthcare industry
Several other benefits of EHR are:
Privacy, Confidentiality, User-friendliness, Document accuracy and
completeness, Integration, Uniformity, Acceptance