Electronic Clinical Decision Support Tools: Opioid Prescribing

Overview

When integrated into electronic health records (EHRs), electronic clinical decision support (CDS) tools can provide accurate and timely patient information to providers. These tools can provide prompts and reminders for healthcare professionals, clinical teams, patients, and administrators. They can also help users implement evidence-based recommendations when patients are receiving care or healthcare services.

"Clinical decision support starts from EHR up."
-Eugene "Genie" McPeek Hinz, M.D., M.S., Associate Chief Medical Information Officer, Duke Health

CDC's Opioid Prescribing Electronic CDS Tools

CDC's Opioid Prescribing Electronic CDS Tools support safer opioid prescribing for chronic pain. Among other tasks, these tools can:

• Present non-medication and nonopioid therapy options
• Assess risk and promote naloxone prescribing
• Calculate the lowest effective dose of opioids

"EHR has the potential to serve as an educational tool, a tool to keep clinicians up to date and to make sure they are practicing at the highest standard."
-Ezekiel Fink, M.D., Medical Director of Pain, Houston Methodist

Health systems pilot tested CDC's CDS tools. Participating health systems included academic medical centers. Learn more about pilot testing experiences in Health System Success.

Integrating CDS tools into EHR systems

Most EHR vendors support CDC's Opioid Prescribing Electronic CDS Tools. All providers, from small practices to large health systems, can implement these tools into their EHR system. Providers and practices should work with their EHR vendor to determine how to incorporate these tools. The vendor can also help determine the level of effort needed to support the tools.

Overall, using CDS tools can increase the quality of care and enhance health outcomes.1

Helpful resources and tools

• 2022 CDC Clinical Practice Guideline at a Glance
  
• Opioid Prescribing Support Implementation Guide
• HealthIT.gov: Clinical Decision Support
• Osheroff J, Teich J, Levick D, Saldana L, Velasco F, Sittig D, Rogers K, Jenders R. Improving Outcomes with Clinical Decision Support: An Implementer's Guide, Second Edition. Boca Raton, FL.: HIMSS Publishing; 2012
• Clinical Decision Support: More Than Just 'Alerts' Tipsheet (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
• CDC Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology
• CDS Hooks website
  
• Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology/CDC Health Information Technology: Integration Framework

Learn more about adapting clinical guidelines for the digital age.