Clinical Decision Support Systems Flashcards
7 cards from real Clinical Informatics Certification practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Clinical Decision Support Systems flashcards as text
A CDS team is developing a sepsis early-warning alert. Which data element is MOST critical to include in the triggering logic?
Answer: Vital sign trends combined with laboratory and nursing assessments
Sepsis criteria (e.g., qSOFA, SIRS, NEWS) rely on combinations of vital signs, lab values, and clinical assessments rather than demographic or administrative data.
Which FDA framework category exempts most clinical decision support software from device regulation when it supports, but does not replace, clinician judgment?
Answer: Non-device CDS under the 21st Century Cures Act criteria
The 21st Century Cures Act defined criteria under which CDS software is considered non-device, exempting it from FDA oversight when it supports but does not replace clinical judgment.
A hospital's CDS committee wants to prioritize which new alerts to build. Which framework is MOST useful for this purpose?
Answer: Weighting by patient safety impact, evidence strength, and workflow feasibility
A prioritization framework that balances safety impact, evidence quality, and feasibility ensures resources are directed to highest-value CDS interventions.
When implementing CDS for antimicrobial stewardship, which approach BEST balances safety with workflow efficiency?
Answer: Tiered alerts based on resistance patterns and clinical context with pharmacist co-management
Tiered antimicrobial CDS with pharmacist involvement targets high-risk prescribing while avoiding unnecessary workflow interruption for appropriate orders.
Which interoperability standard enables a CDS system to query a patient's medication list from an external EHR in real time?
Answer: HL7 FHIR MedicationRequest resource
The FHIR MedicationRequest resource provides a standardized API endpoint for querying current and historical medication information across systems.
A CDS alert for high-dose acetaminophen fires even when the patient's total daily dose is within safe limits. This error MOST likely results from:
Answer: Failure to aggregate doses across all acetaminophen-containing orders
Acetaminophen toxicity alerts require summing doses from all sources (combination products, standalone orders); failure to aggregate produces false positives.
Which governance role is MOST responsible for adjudicating clinical disputes about whether a CDS alert recommendation is evidence-based?
Answer: Physician-led Clinical Decision Support Committee with pharmacy and nursing representation
A multidisciplinary CDS committee with physician leadership is the appropriate body to evaluate clinical evidence and resolve disputes about alert content.