Descriptions
Implements clinical decision support following evidence-based guidelines for care of (practice must demonstrate at least four of the following):
A. Mental health condition.
B. Substance use disorder.
C. A chronic medical condition.
D. An acute condition.
E. A condition related to unhealthy behaviors.
F. Well child or adult care.
G. Overuse/appropriateness issues.
The practice utilizes systems in its day-to-day operations that integrate evidence-based guidelines (frequently referred to as clinical decision support, or CDS). CDS is a systematic method of prompting clinicians to consider evidence-based guidelines at the point of care.
CDS encompasses a variety of tools, including, but not limited to:
- Computerized alerts and reminders for providers and patients.
- Condition-specific order sets.
- Focused patient data reports and summaries.
- Documentation templates.
- Diagnostic support.
- Contextually relevant reference information.
Although CDS may relate to clinical quality measures, measures alone do not achieve the broader goals of CDS.
a. Mental health: The practice uses evidence-based guidelines to support clinical decisions related to at least one mental health issue (e.g., depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, ADD, dementia, Alzheimer's) in the care of patients.
b. Substance use disorder treatment: The practice uses evidence-based guidelines to support clinical decisions related to at least one substance misuse issue (e.g., illegal drug use, prescription drug addiction, alcoholism) in the care of patients.
c. A chronic medical condition: The practice has evidence-based guidelines it uses for clinical decision support related to at least one chronic medical condition (e.g., arthritis, asthma, cardiovascular disease, COPD, diabetes) in the care of patients.
d. An acute condition: The practice uses evidence-based guidelines to support clinical decisions related to at least one acute medical condition (e.g., acute back pain, allergic rhinitis, bronchiolitis, influenza, otitis media, pharyngitis, sinusitis, urinary tract infection) in the care of patients.
e. A condition related to unhealthy behaviors: The practice uses evidence-based guidelines to support clinical decisions related to at least one unhealthy behavior (e.g., obesity, smoking) in the care of patients.
f. Well child or adult care: The practice uses evidence-based guidelines to support clinical decisions related to well-child or adult care (e.g., age appropriate screenings, immunizations) in the care of patients.
g. Overuse/appropriateness issues: The practice uses evidence-based guidelines to support clinical decisions related to overuse or appropriateness of care issues (e.g., use of antibiotics, avoiding unnecessary testing, referrals to multiple specialists) in the care of patients. The American Board of Internal Medicine Foundation's Choosing Wisely campaign provides information about implementing evidence-based guidelines as clinical decision support.