Guidance DS: A web-based clinical decision support system for antimicrobial stewardship in hospitals

Abstract

We describe a web-based drug approval and clinical decision support system called Guidance DS. The system was developed by a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, pharmacists, software developers and epidemiologist at the Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH). Its design was informed by contextual enquiry and formative evaluation processes. Guidance DS has role based workflows for clinicians, senior prescribers, pharmacists, administrators and auditors. Its primary use has been antimicrobial stewardship, and the system has demonstrated significant improvements in antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance since its deployment at the RMH in 2005 and at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in 2007. The..