Piloting a Mobile Clinical Decision Support Application for Pediatric Clinical Guidelines

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Health Services Research
• Clinical Practice Guidelines

Background:

• Mobile Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSSs) are increasingly adopted to improve clinical guideline adherence.
• Implementing a mobile guideline app at a children's hospital involved integrating 23 distinct guidelines.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore clinician guideline use and access preferences during the implementation of a mobile CDSS.
• To assess the adoption patterns and perceived utility of a mobile guideline application among healthcare providers.

Main Methods:

• Anonymous surveys were distributed to onboarded clinicians in January 2022, collecting demographic data and access preferences.
• The study included clinicians from various settings, with a response rate of 21.8% (57/261).

Main Results:

• Clinicians accessed guidelines on over half of their shifts (68.4%) and rapidly (80.7% in <1 minute).
• Most users found mobile CDSSs to be useful adjuncts, with younger clinicians reporting increased ease of access and usage frequency.
• Guidelines for antibiotic decisions and new disease processes were deemed most valuable.

Conclusions:

• Mobile CDSSs show favorable adoption patterns, enhancing guideline accessibility and usage.
• Further research is recommended to investigate electronic health record integration, adherence rates, and impact on patient outcomes.