Availability and usage of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) in office-based primary care settings in the USA

BACKGROUND: A clinical decision support system (CDSS) covers a broad spectrum of applications, for example, screening reminders, can reduce malpractice, improve preventive services and enable better management of chronic conditions. CDSSs have traditionally been used successfully in large hospitals. The availability (ie, whether the function is provided by the software) and usage (ie, actual use) of a CDSS in office-based primary care settings, however, are less well studied. OBJECTIVE: To establish a benchmark of CDSS availability and usage in office-based primary care settings, particularly given the large volume of visits in such settings. METHODS: We used the 2015 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to conduct secondary data analysis. We selected preventive services reminders and drug interaction alerts, along with several other variables as examples of a CDSS. RESULTS: CDSS usage rates ranged from 68.5% to 100% among solo or non-solo primary care practices owned by physicians or physician groups that have electronic medical records (EMRs)/electronic health records (EHRs) and 44.7% to 96.1%, regardless of EMR/EHR status. According to proportion tests, solo practices had significantly lower CDSS usage and availability rates on several measures if the practice is entirely EMR/EHR based and significantly lower (16.3%–28.9%) CDSS usage rates than did non-solo practices on each measure, regardless of EMR/EHR status. CONCLUSION: In the USA, a CDSS, especially under the categories of basic preventive reminders and drug interaction alerts, is used routinely between 68% and 100% in primary care if a practice is entirely EMR/EHR based. More work is needed, however, to determine the reasons for large usage gaps between solo and non-solo practices and to reduce such gaps.