Decision making: process of constructing the alternatives versus problem of choice among several alternatives; types of decisions. Modelling decisions; components of decision models; static and dynamic models, decisions, rules and expressions; guidelines and workflow models. Decision support systems (DSSs); role of a DSS in clinical decision-support (information management, focusing attention and in providing patient-specific recommendations); styles of interaction (consulting model, critiquing model). Medical decision support systems (MDSSs): key functions of MDSSs; administrative, managing clinical complexity and details, cost control, decision support. Range of components of a DSS: data management and expert system, evolutionary kernel and learning process and data visualisation; typical application areas in the health care domain. Role of MDSSs in reducing preventable medical errors; computerised provider/physician/prescriber order entry (CPOE) systems; functions and features, role as a supporting application to an electronic health record system; limitations of CPOE systems. Construction of DSS tools: acquisition and validation of patient data, modelling of medical knowledge, elicitation of medical knowledge, representation of and reasoning about medical knowledge, validation of system performance, integration of decision support tools; examples of MDSSs. Normative and descriptive approaches; decision-analytic MDSSs; equation-based and mixed systems; reasoning about the problem structure in addition to numerical calculations; choice and optimization of decision variable(s). Linear programming: objective function, constraints, graphical method, simplex solution, sensitivity analysis; integer linear programming; network models and waiting line models; Bayesian networks; computer solutions; interpretation of results. Decision making under conditions of risk and uncertainty. Role of knowledge discovery techniques in decision support: discovery of decision models; representation of decision models; descriptive and predictive models/patterns; discovery of patterns in decision models. User interfaces to MDSSs: support for model construction and analysis. Expert systems in routine medical use: components; medical knowledge they contain for defined tasks; uses: alerts, reminders; diagnostic assistance; therapy critiquing and planning; prescribing decision support; information retrieval; image recognition and interpretation. Trends concerning MDSSs; standardized interfaces among clinical practice management systems; higher-performance technologies (e.g. speech recognition and wireless computers). Security features: levels of data encryption, compliance with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements.

Identify medical contexts where decision support is required. Describe the components and potential roles of medical decision support systems. Analyse the issues involved in the management and development of decision support systems. Outline techniques to model and represent medical knowledge. Employ a medical decision support system to solve particular problems and interpret the solutions. Discuss knowledge discovery techniques in medical decision support. Discuss hop the user interface supports model construction and analysis in medical decision support systems. Describe the role of expert systems in medical use.

Demonstrate a recognition that medical decision support systems are designed to support rather than replace decision makers.

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