Digitizing Infectious Disease Clinical Guidelines for Improved Clinician Satisfaction

Area of Science:

• Infectious Disease Management
• Health Informatics
• Clinical Decision Support Systems

Background:

• Emerging and reemerging infectious diseases pose significant public health challenges.
• Existing electronic health record (EHR) systems require optimized clinical decision support (CDS) for effective management.
• End-user satisfaction is crucial for successful implementation of health IT strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement an improved, rapid-deployment CDS strategy for infectious disease detection and treatment within an EHR.
• To enhance clinical decision-making for both individual patient care and broader population health.
• To integrate end-user (clinician) satisfaction as a key factor in the CDS strategy development and deployment.

Main Methods:

• Evidence review and comprehensive workflow assessments informed the strategy.
• Interdisciplinary focus groups identified EHR-based infectious disease needs and clinician guidance requirements.
• The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) quality improvement framework facilitated rapid cycle deployment and monitoring.
• Presurvey and postsurvey measurements, including the Clinical Information System Implementation Evaluation Scale, assessed efficacy and clinician satisfaction.

Main Results:

• The implemented rapid-deployment CDS strategy was found to be successful (P < .05).
• Clinician satisfaction was evaluated using validated scales and qualitative feedback.
• The study addressed education and reeducation needs throughout the implementation process.

Conclusions:

• The enhanced CDS strategy effectively supports the detection and treatment of infectious diseases within the EHR.
• The rapid-deployment model, informed by end-user feedback, proved successful in improving clinical workflows.
• This approach contributes to better patient care and population health outcomes in the face of evolving infectious threats.