Clinical decision support systems in psychiatry in the Information Age.
OBJECTIVE
Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) are active knowledge systems that use two or more items of patient data to generate case-specific advice. They were developed to improve health-care quality. There is evidence that they can be a valuable tool in fostering the process of dissemination and uptake of clinical guidelines that, in turn, can improve clinical decision-making and outcomes. The present paper will explore why, despite this potential, CDSSs have not been extensively used in psychiatry.


CONCLUSIONS
There is an abundant literature that explores the barriers to the development and implementation of information technology in health. This can be understood as related to clinician, organizational, cultural and technological factors. Certain characteristics of the clinical discipline of psychiatry present an additional barrier, although diagnostic systems appear to have gained a level of acceptance.
Kotze
Beth
B
Mental Health Services, Black Dog Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia. kotzeb@sesahs.nsw.gov.au
Brdaroska
Bilyana
B
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical / Q000639:trends*; D005103:Expert Systems; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D009517:New South Wales; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011570:Psychiatry / Q000639:trends*