Reply To: Week 4 Topic 3 CDSS

[Ching To Chung]

I have not worked with a DSS before but I have experienced how it works during treatment. I personally have a drug allergy that is recorded in my EMR. So everytime I go to receieve chemotherapy, the health monitor reads my EMR and would immediately show a big red warning that I have a drug allergy. I think the system is quite useful as it is very straightforward and intuitive, showing all healthcare workers that I have a special condition they need to look out for. Sometimes nurses have burnout and would miss some critical facts, leading to serious medical errors. Such an automatic and visible alert is therefore very useful. As others have mentioned, I think keeping the data updated and integration are crucial. Every time I am admitted, the nurse would ask me again if I have any new drug allergies, just in case that I have discovered more and it needs to be recorded on the file. Keeping the data updated is what makes the system useful. The DSS system also needs to be well designed so that it integrates into the workflow of the health facility and provides smart and useful alerts.