Choosing a clinical decision support rule that helps patients and gets you EHR cash

Why This Topic Matters

Selecting an appropriate clinical decision support rule affects both clinical usefulness and EHR incentive program compliance. The article helps readers understand the broad implementation considerations involved in meeting the measure without disrupting practice operations.

Article Sections

1. Meaningful use guide, measure 11

   Introduces the article’s focus on the meaningful use requirement tied to clinical decision support in EHR systems. Provides the general context for why the topic matters to practices using certified EHR technology.

2. What is a CDS rule?

   Defines clinical decision support rules at a broad level and explains their place within an electronic health record. Describes how these tools are presented to clinicians when patient-specific conditions are present.

3. Getting it done

   Summarizes practical implementation considerations for activating and using a CDS rule. Covers general workflow impact, clinician involvement, and the importance of choosing a rule that fits the practice.

4. 1. Check out your EHR’s pre-made options.

   Discusses the availability of built-in CDS options in EHR systems and the general idea of selecting from existing templates. Also notes that some alerts fall under other meaningful use requirements.

5. 2. Choose a relevant CDS rule with lots of physician input.

   Focuses on the value of clinician feedback when deciding which CDS alert to activate. Emphasizes selecting a rule that physicians find useful in routine care.

6. 3. Test the conditions before going live with real patients.

   Describes the importance of validating CDS behavior in a practice environment before using it with actual patients. Mentions mock testing as part of workflow preparation.

7. 4. Develop your own CDS rule to boost quality.

   Covers the option of creating a custom CDS rule when pre-made choices are not a good fit. Presents this as a general way to support quality-focused care processes.