Clinical decision support systems for patient safety: a focus group needs assessment with Korean ICU nurses

An ICU is known as a data-rich environment, and information technology can improve the quality of care by utilizing stored clinical data and providing decision support effectively and in a timely manner to clinicians. The necessity of clinical decision support systems is emphasized now more than ever because patient safety and nursing-sensitive outcomes in the clinical setting have become a critical issue. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing-sensitive outcomes issues related to patient safety in critical care and to understand the types and contents of clinical decision support systems that nurses desire in a clinical practice setting. Focus group interviews were conducted with 37 nurses who worked in one university hospital system in Korea. Our findings are summarized into threats to patient safety, nursing-sensitive outcomes, and the types and contents of clinical decision support systems, which are categorized into the following groups: (1) reminders, notification, alert, and warning systems; (2) point-of-care guidelines; and (3) references for information/guidelines. Nurses consistently stated that clinical decision support systems can help improve nursing outcomes by applying standardized nursing care. Our study is expected to provide a practical suggestion for developing and designing a new clinical decision support system or for refining an existing one.