Data and the clinical decision support loop

Health-related data from individuals are at the “start” and “end” of a continuous clinical decision support loop: these data drive the development of models embedded in decision support systems whose implementation results in outcomes data for those individuals. The outcomes data are further used to improve and develop new predictive models and corresponding decision support systems. In this issue of JAMIA we present brief communications and research articles in areas that support the clinical decision support loop: data collection and quality assessment, analysis, predictive modeling in decision support systems, and evaluation of clinical outcomes. The quality of data collected in the process of care is highly variable and needs to be continuously monitored and improved. Moscow (see page e108) shows that this is particularly true for antibiotic prescriptions. Davhle …