Electronic Decision Support Study

Background

doctor working on a computer

The software is designed to aid doctors weighing up multiple risk factors when planning cardiovascular risk management strategies for patients

For GPs, balancing the competing demands of various guidelines and assessing multiple cardiovascular risk factors in patients can prove very challenging. This study will pilot a new electronic decision support (EDS) tool designed to facilitate guidelines-based assessment and management by automatically integrating a number of assessment indicators.

Aims

The project aims to test the feasibility of the EDS tool by confirming its reliability and relevance, providing direction for further development of the tool, and determining whether the tool is acceptable to GPs.

Methods

The EDS tool will be pilot-tested among 100 patients attending 10 general practices in Western and South Western Sydney, 50 patients attending a multidisciplinary vascular clinic at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and 30 patients attending three Aboriginal Medical Services in Sydney.

For the pilot testing, research assistant use patient records to enter risk factor data into the EDS software, creating an individualised, printed recommendation on risk management for the doctor to consider during consultation.

At the end of each consultation, a questionnaire will capture whether the recommendations were implemented, and the specific reasons why this may or may not have occurred. In addition, an interview with each participating doctor will be conducted at the completion of all data collection to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the EDS tool and gather suggestions to improve it.

Institute Investigators

  • Anushka Patel
  • David Peiris
  • Fiona Turnbull
  • Patrick Groenestein
  • Rohina Joshi
  • Ruth Webster

Collaboration

Funding Agencies