Optimizing nursing clinical decision support systems: Insights from nurses' experiences

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Health Information Technology
• Clinical Decision Support Systems

Background:

• Nursing Clinical Decision Support Systems (Nu-CDSS) are critical tools in modern healthcare.
• Evaluating user experiences post-implementation is vital for system refinement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore nurses' experiences with a Nu-CDSS two years after implementation.
• To identify user-centered areas for optimizing the Nu-CDSS.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive qualitative study was conducted in a Shanghai tertiary acute care hospital.
• Semi-structured interviews were performed with 15 clinical nurses and nurse managers.
• Thematic analysis using the 5R framework was applied to interview data.

Main Results:

• Seven themes and 14 subthemes identified user-centered optimization needs.
• Key areas include enhancing information relevance, role-based usability, workflow integration, platform interoperability, and reminder optimization.
• Robust technical support and standardized protocols were also emphasized.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing Nu-CDSS requires enhancing the knowledge base, interface integration, and platform synchronization.
• Improvements in reminder timing, technical support, and AI-enhanced features are crucial.
• Future systems should balance AI support with the preservation of nurses' clinical judgment.