Clinical decision support systems for surgery

Abstract

This article presents a literature review of decision support systems (DSS) use for surgery. A decision support system (DSS) is a computer-based information system that collects, organizes and analyzes the large amounts of clinical data and medical knowledge that can effectively influence on the decision-making processes to generate case-specific advice. The problem of providing computer support decision-making in medicine is thought to be actual due to the increasing information load on the physician and the development of computer technology. In surgery while making medical decisions the lack of time, high dynamics of disease course, high price of medical errors, etc are considered to be specific. DSS consists of the following computerized procedures: collection, processing, analysis of medical data, mathematical modeling, elaboration of alternatives and selection of the optimal method of diagnosis or treatment. Currently the assisting DSS in clinical practice, the test and opposing DSS in training and advanced training, analytical DSS in the scientific researches have been singed out. DSS in surgery can be used as a source of medical knowledge for decision making in a diagnosis or treatment process to assist the physician in the diagnostic decision-making process, evaluate the effectiveness of treatment, analysis of the pathological process dynamics, assess of a patient's condition in real-time regime. Medical computer systems permit surgeons not only to test their own predictive and diagnostic assumptions, but to use artificial intelligence technologies in complex clinical situations. © Vitebsk State Medical University, 2007.