Clinical Decision Support Case (Out of Print)

Abstract

Abstract Introduction This resource is a patient case in which several questions that come up may be answered using online resources. The exercise reinforces the principles of good search practices using an uncontrolled vocabulary versus using a controlled one. This resource also reinforces that well-structured data can provide answers to questions not easily answered by paper resources. Methods References and hyperlinks are included. One of the online resources is accessible only by license but most institutions will probably have a similar resource they can substitute, such as a drug database capable of searching by pill description. Results This material has been used as the basis of a 1-hour interactive session training third-year medical school student on their medicine clerkship. Approximately 1,000 students have been trained; postsession evaluations show the students' rate the resource positively. The most frequent comment is that it should be offered earlier in the third year. Discussion Another variation of this resource is currently being developed for internal medicine residents. With older learner such as faculty, the class should be paced slower with regard to the technical issues and paced faster with regard to the medical issues.

Keywords

• Informatics
• Information Storage and Retrieval
• Polycystic Kidney Disease
• Confidentiality
• Decision Support
• Controlled Text Database