Clinical Decision Support Tools Improving Cancer Care.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical decision support tools and advancements in health information technology currently utilized at a National Cancer Institute designated cancer center to aid in achieving the Institute for Healthcare Improvement Triple Aim project.

DATA SOURCES: Published literature, Web sites.

CONCLUSION: Advances in health information technology facilitate increasing quality and satisfaction with care, improving the health of populations, and reducing the cost of care. New technology includes integration of the oncology electronic medical record (EMR), smart IV pumps, EMR after-hours nurse triage protocols, and bio-repository data warehouses.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Cancer patients, oncology nurses, and oncologists have an increasing amount of clinical decision support tools available to help achieve the Institute for Healthcare Improvement's Triple Aim.