Clinical Decision Support Systems

Challenges and Facilitation Approaches for the Participatory Design of AI-Based Clinical Decision Support Systems: Protocol for a Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

In the last few years, there has been an increasing interest in the development of artificial intelligence (AI)-based clinical decision support systems (CDSS). However, there are barriers to the successful implementation of such systems in practice, including the lack of acceptance of these systems. Participatory approaches aim to involve future users in designing applications such as CDSS to be more acceptable, feasible, and fundamentally more relevant for practice. The development of technologies based on AI, however, challenges the process of user involvement and related methods.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review is to summarize and present the main approaches, methods, practices, and specific challenges for participatory research and development of AI-based decision support systems involving clinicians.

METHODS

This scoping review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute approach to scoping reviews. The search for eligible studies was conducted in the databases MEDLINE via PubMed; ACM Digital Library; Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health; and PsycInfo. The following search filters, adapted to each database, were used: Period January 01, 2012, to October 31, 2023, English and German studies only, abstract available. The scoping review will include studies that involve the development, piloting, implementation, and evaluation of AI-based CDSS (hybrid and data-driven AI approaches). Clinical staff must be involved in a participatory manner. Data retrieval will be accompanied by a manual gray literature search. Potential publications will then be exported into reference management software, and duplicates will be removed. Afterward, the obtained set of papers will be transferred into a systematic review management tool. All publications will be screened, extracted, and analyzed: title and abstract screening will be carried out by 2 independent reviewers. Disagreements will be resolved by involving a third reviewer. Data will be extracted using a data extraction tool prepared for the study.

RESULTS

This scoping review protocol was registered on March 11, 2023, at the Open Science Framework. The full-text screening had already started at that time. Of the 3,118 studies screened by title and abstract, 31 were included in the full-text screening. Data collection and analysis as well as manuscript preparation are planned for the second and third quarter of 2024. The manuscript should be submitted towards the end of 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

This review will describe the current state of knowledge on participatory development of AI-based decision support systems. The aim is to identify knowledge gaps and provide research impetus. It also aims to provide relevant information for policy makers and practitioners.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/58185.

Acceptability of data linkage to identify women at risk of postnatal complication for the development of digital risk prediction tools and interventions to better optimise postnatal care, a qualitative descriptive study design

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy acts as a cardiovascular stress test. Although many complications resolve following birth, women with hypertensive disorder of pregnancy have an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) long-term. Monitoring postnatal health can reduce this risk but requires better methods to identity high-risk women for timely interventions.

METHODS

Employing a qualitative descriptive study design, focus groups and/or interviews were conducted, separately engaging public contributors and clinical professionals. Diverse participants were recruited through social media convenience sampling. Semi-structured, facilitator-led discussions explored perspectives of current postnatal assessment and attitudes towards linking patient electronic healthcare data to develop digital tools for identifying postpartum women at risk of CVD. Participant perspectives were gathered using post-it notes or a facilitator scribe and analysed thematically.

RESULTS

From 27 public and seven clinical contributors, five themes regarding postnatal check expectations versus reality were developed, including 'limited resources', 'low maternal health priority', 'lack of knowledge', 'ineffective systems' and 'new mum syndrome'. Despite some concerns, all supported data linkage to identify women postnatally, targeting intervention to those at greater risk of CVD. Participants outlined potential benefits of digitalisation and risk prediction, highlighting design and communication needs for diverse communities.

CONCLUSIONS

Current health system constraints in England contribute to suboptimal postnatal care. Integrating data linkage and improving education on data and digital tools for maternal healthcare shows promise for enhanced monitoring and improved future health. Recognised for streamlining processes and risk prediction, digital tools may enable more person-centred care plans, addressing the gaps in current postnatal care practice.

Global Trends and Hotspots in Nursing Research on Decision Support Systems: A Bibliometric Analysis in CiteSpace

Decision support systems have been widely used in healthcare in recent years; however, there is lack of evidence on global trends and hotspots. This descriptive bibliometric study aimed to analyze bibliometric patterns of decision support systems in nursing. Data were extracted from the Web of Science Core Collection. Published research articles on decision support systems in nursing were identified. Co-occurrence and co-citation analysis was performed using CiteSpace version 6.1.R2. In total, 165 articles were analyzed. A total of 358 authors and 257 institutions from 20 countries contributed to this research field. The most productive authors were Andrew Johnson, Suzanne Bakken, Alessandro Febretti, Eileen S. O'Neill, and Kathryn H. Bowles. The most productive country and institution were the United States and Duke University, respectively. The top 10 keywords were "care," "clinical decision support," "clinical decision support system," "decision support system," "electronic health record," "system," "nursing informatics," "guideline," "decision support," and "outcomes." Common themes on keywords were planning intervention, national health information infrastructure, and methodological challenge. This study will help to find potential partners, countries, and institutions for future researchers, practitioners, and scholars. Additionally, it will contribute to health policy development, evidence-based practice, and further studies for researchers, practitioners, and scholars.

The Facilitators and Barriers of the Implementation of a Clinical Decision Support System for Breast Cancer Multidisciplinary Team Meetings-An Interview Study

BACKGROUND

AI-driven clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) hold promise for multidisciplinary team meetings (MDTMs). This study aimed to uncover the hurdles and aids in implementing CDSSs during breast cancer MDTMs.

METHODS

Twenty-four core team members from three hospitals engaged in semi-structured interviews, revealing a collective interest in experiencing CDSS workflows in clinical practice. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed anonymously. A standardized approach, 'the framework method', was used to create an analytical framework for data analysis, which was performed by two independent researchers.

RESULTS

Positive aspects included improved data visualization, time-saving features, automated trial matching, and enhanced documentation transparency. However, challenges emerged, primarily concerning data connectivity, guideline updates, the accuracy of AI-driven suggestions, and the risk of losing human involvement in decision making. Despite the complexities involved in CDSS development and integration, clinicians demonstrated enthusiasm to explore its potential benefits.

CONCLUSIONS

Acknowledging the multifaceted nature of this challenge, insights into the barriers and facilitators identified in this study offer a potential roadmap for smoother future implementations. Understanding these factors could pave the way for more effective utilization of CDSSs in breast cancer MDTMs, enhancing patient care through informed decision making.