A clinical decision support system to increase appropriateness of diagnostic imaging prescriptions

In this paper we present a Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS) that provides physicians with real-time guidance to prescribe patients appropriate diagnostic imaging tests. The CDDS embeds the imaging referral guidelines in the form of coded rules that help the physicians in their prescription work. It also provides tools that promote the collaboration among physicians and radiologists in the diagnostic process. The work has been carried out in a recently ended research project which investigated the phenomenon of inappropriate imaging prescribing in Sicily, Italy. Results from a field experimentation show a high potential impact of the CDSS in reducing inappropriate imaging.