Certified Healthcare Technology Specialist (CHTS) Process Workflow & Information Management Redesign Practice Exam

What is the purpose of Clinical Decision Support (CDS) systems?

1. To prescribe medications electronically

2. To assess patient confidentiality

3. To provide alerts and suggested protocols for decision making

4. To encode medical information

The correct answer is: To provide alerts and suggested protocols for decision making

Clinical Decision Support (CDS) systems are designed to enhance healthcare delivery by providing healthcare professionals with the knowledge and tailored information necessary to make informed clinical decisions. They achieve this by analyzing data from various sources, such as electronic health records, to present relevant, evidence-based guidance at the point of care. The main purpose of CDS systems is to provide alerts and suggested protocols for decision-making. These systems can generate reminders about preventive care measures, flag potential issues such as drug interactions or allergies, and suggest diagnostic tests or treatments based on patient-specific data and best practices. By offering these timely insights, CDS systems aim to improve patient outcomes, enhance the quality of care, and support healthcare providers in making well-informed clinical choices. Other choices represent important aspects of healthcare but do not capture the primary function of CDS systems. For instance, while electronic prescribing is a critical tool within healthcare IT, it is specific to medication management rather than broadly supporting clinical decision-making. Assessing patient confidentiality is a key component of healthcare compliance but does not pertain directly to the functions of CDS. Encoding medical information relates to data management and interoperability, which, although important for healthcare technology frameworks, is separate from the support structures that CDS provides for clinical decision-making processes.