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Methods Inf Med 2002; 41(02): 98-104
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1634292
Original Article
Schattauer GmbH

Design and Implementation of a Computer Decision Support System for the Diagnosis and Management of Dementia Syndromes in Primary Care

S. Iliffe
1   Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, RFUCLMS, UK
,
T. Austin
2   Centre for Health Informatics and Multiprofessional Education, UCL, UK
,
J. Wilcock
1   Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, RFUCLMS, UK
,
M. Bryans
3   Centre for Social Research on Dementia, Department of Applied Social Sciences University of Stirling, Scotland
,
S. Turner
3   Centre for Social Research on Dementia, Department of Applied Social Sciences University of Stirling, Scotland
,
M. Downs
4   Bradford Dementia Group, School of Health Studies, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 13 July 2001

Accepted: 18 December 2001

Publication Date:
07 February 2018 (online)

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Summary

Background: Diagnosis and management of dementia is a complex process and primary care physicians are under-equipped to deal with uncertainties in the provision of optimal care for the patient.

Objective: To develop a computer decision support system (CDSS) which could assist physicians with diagnosis and management and improve patient care. Methods: A design group including general practitioners derived logic pathways for diagnosis and management of dementia and validated them with a multi-professional expert group. Logic pathways were used to construct a comprehensive CDSS rendered as a series of expert consultations. The CDSS was inserted into commercially available GP systems and bench and field-tested.

Results: The complexity of dementia diagnosis and management can be captured in logic pathways which can be expressed as decision trees within existing electronic patient records. The resulting CDSS appears useable in routine practice.

Conclusion: The impact of this CDSS will be evaluated in a randomised controlled trial of educational interventions in primary care.

Keywords

Computer-assisted decision support - dementia - primary care - diagnosis - case management
 

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