Computerized decision support systems: implications for practice

The informatics literature variously defines Computerized Decision Support (CDS) systems. These definitions are sometimes narrow and sometime broad, leading to occasional confusion in terminology. For purposes of this paper, a broad definition that enjoys some professional consensus has been adapted from Langston and colleagues: CDS systems encompass any computer software employing a knowledge base (facts and/or rules) designed for use by a clinician involved in patient care, as a direct aid to clinical decision-making.