Results were inconsistent for changes in CVD risk factors such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure , total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol , and hemoglobin A1C levels .
CONCLUSIONS CDSSs are effective in improving clinician practice s related to screening and other preventive care services , clinical tests , and treatments .
CONTEXT Clinical decision support systems ( CDSSs ) can help clinicians assess cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk and manage CVD risk factors by providing tailored assessment s and treatment recommendations based on individual patient data .
The goal of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of CDSSs in improving screening for CVD risk factors , practice s for CVD-related preventive care services such as clinical tests and prescribed treatments , and management of CVD risk factors .
Can hand-held computers improve adherence to guidelines? A (Palm) Pilot study of family doctors in British Columbia.
OBJECTIVE To examine whether Palm Prevention , a free software tool for Palm OS personal digital assistants ( PDAs ) that provides quick access to preventive guidelines in a patient-specific manner at the point of care , improved adherence to five preventive measures in primary care . DESIGN Prospect i ve intervention pilot study . SETTING Vancouver , BC , and surrounding area . PARTICIPANTS Eight general practitioners . INTERVENTIONS Each physician used Palm Prevention for five preventive measures during routine preventive health visits with 10 patients ( n = 80 ) . Charts of consenting patients were review ed for documentation of recommended maneuvers . MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Rates of adherence to five evidence -based guidelines selected from the Canadian and American task forces on preventive care and incorporated into Palm Prevention . RESULTS Intervention and control physicians were similar in their familiarity with and use of PDAs , and they recruited similar patients for the study . Intervention and control groups had similar rates of screening for hypertension . Intervention improved adherence to the remaining four guidelines : cervical cancer screening increased 22 % ( only absolute increases are reported ) ; hyperlipidemia screening increased 30 % ; colorectal cancer screening increased 27 % ; and  prophylaxis with acetylsalicylic acid in high-risk patients increased 38 % . Participants were surveyed after the study ; all reported that they found the software helpful and would continue using Palm Prevention . Usage statistics showed that study participants used the tool outside the trial : users entered between 28 and 68 unique patients into the program during the 2-month intervention . CONCLUSION This pilot study suggests PDAs are useful in improving preventive care and facilitating translation of knowledge into practice . This was particularly apparent with newer guidelines
Results were inconsistent for changes in CVD risk factors such as systolic and diastolic blood pressure , total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol , and hemoglobin A1C levels .
CONCLUSIONS CDSSs are effective in improving clinician practice s related to screening and other preventive care services , clinical tests , and treatments .
CONTEXT Clinical decision support systems ( CDSSs ) can help clinicians assess cardiovascular disease ( CVD ) risk and manage CVD risk factors by providing tailored assessment s and treatment recommendations based on individual patient data .
The goal of this systematic review was to examine the effectiveness of CDSSs in improving screening for CVD risk factors , practice s for CVD-related preventive care services such as clinical tests and prescribed treatments , and management of CVD risk factors .