American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine

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Ermete: A Decision Support System for an Innovative Management of Knowledge and Prescription in Laboratory Medicine: A Trial of Two Italian Local Health Authorities

Received: 09 June 2017    Accepted: 09 June 2017    Published: 22 June 2017
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Abstract

Laboratory tests play an important role in the diagnostic process. Unfortunately, their utility is at present affected by a significant rate of inappropriate prescriptions. The current strategies to solve the problem are not adequate. The aim of this study is to propose a structural solution through the Health Information Technology. Between the years 2008 and 2010, a methodology to prescribe laboratory tests with the aid of a Decision Support System (DSS), denomened Ermete, has been tested in collaboration with General Practitioners of Local Health Authorities of Rovigo and Mirano. The DSS, during the process of prescription, showed indications of appropriateness in real time and the general practitioner might or might not accept the indication. The number of prescriptions processed with DSS was compared with the number of prescriptions issued by the same physicians, in the same period of the previous year, without the assistance of the DSS. Results showed a decrease of the total number of prescriptions when the DSS was used. The reduction rate was 37.2% in Rovigo and 26.1% in Mirano. The achieved results showed that it is possible to perform the governance of prescriptions without political and administrative actions. The DSS was effective in reducing inappropriateness and in managing knowledge.

DOI 10.11648/j.ajcem.20170504.13
Published in American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine (Volume 5, Issue 4, July 2017)
Page(s) 115-122
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Decision Support System, Inappropriateness, Health Information Technology, Knowledge Management

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Author Information
  • Department of Clinical Pathology, Local Health Authority, Rovigo, Italy

  • Department of Clinical Pathology, Local Health Authority, Rovigo, Italy

  • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Local Health Authority, Rovigo, Italy

  • Department of Clinical Pathology, Local Health Authority, Rovigo, Italy

  • Health and Social Care, Local Health Authority, Mirano, Italy

  • Department of Clinical Pathology, Local Health Authority, Rovigo, Italy

  • Italian Association of Public Health Sociology, Ferrara, Italy

  • SDA- Bocconi School of Management, Milan, Italy

  • General Practice, Local Health Authority, Rovigo, Italy

  • Department of General Medicine, Local Health Authority, Mirano, Italy

  • Information Technology, Local Health Authority, Rovigo, Italy

  • Department of Clinical Pathology, Local Health Authority, Rovigo, Italy

Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Alessandro Camerotto, Vincenza Truppo, Alessia Pozzato, Simone Bedendo, Gabriele Angiolelli, et al. (2017). Ermete: A Decision Support System for an Innovative Management of Knowledge and Prescription in Laboratory Medicine: A Trial of Two Italian Local Health Authorities. American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, 5(4), 115-122. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajcem.20170504.13

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    ACS Style

    Alessandro Camerotto; Vincenza Truppo; Alessia Pozzato; Simone Bedendo; Gabriele Angiolelli, et al. Ermete: A Decision Support System for an Innovative Management of Knowledge and Prescription in Laboratory Medicine: A Trial of Two Italian Local Health Authorities. Am. J. Clin. Exp. Med. 2017, 5(4), 115-122. doi: 10.11648/j.ajcem.20170504.13

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    AMA Style

    Alessandro Camerotto, Vincenza Truppo, Alessia Pozzato, Simone Bedendo, Gabriele Angiolelli, et al. Ermete: A Decision Support System for an Innovative Management of Knowledge and Prescription in Laboratory Medicine: A Trial of Two Italian Local Health Authorities. Am J Clin Exp Med. 2017;5(4):115-122. doi: 10.11648/j.ajcem.20170504.13

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajcem.20170504.13,
      author = {Alessandro Camerotto and Vincenza Truppo and Alessia Pozzato and Simone Bedendo and Gabriele Angiolelli and Arianna Lucchiari and Massimo Tosini and Alessandra Saggin and Francesco Noce and Stefano Rigo and Alessio Gasparetto and Roberto Mencarelli},
      title = {Ermete: A Decision Support System for an Innovative Management of Knowledge and Prescription in Laboratory Medicine: A Trial of Two Italian Local Health Authorities},
      journal = {American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine},
      volume = {5},
      number = {4},
      pages = {115-122},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajcem.20170504.13},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajcem.20170504.13},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajcem.20170504.13},
      abstract = {Laboratory tests play an important role in the diagnostic process. Unfortunately, their utility is at present affected by a significant rate of inappropriate prescriptions. The current strategies to solve the problem are not adequate. The aim of this study is to propose a structural solution through the Health Information Technology. Between the years 2008 and 2010, a methodology to prescribe laboratory tests with the aid of a Decision Support System (DSS), denomened Ermete, has been tested in collaboration with General Practitioners of Local Health Authorities of Rovigo and Mirano. The DSS, during the process of prescription, showed indications of appropriateness in real time and the general practitioner might or might not accept the indication. The number of prescriptions processed with DSS was compared with the number of prescriptions issued by the same physicians, in the same period of the previous year, without the assistance of the DSS. Results showed a decrease of the total number of prescriptions when the DSS was used. The reduction rate was 37.2% in Rovigo and 26.1% in Mirano. The achieved results showed that it is possible to perform the governance of prescriptions without political and administrative actions. The DSS was effective in reducing inappropriateness and in managing knowledge.},
     year = {2017}
    }
    

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    T1  - Ermete: A Decision Support System for an Innovative Management of Knowledge and Prescription in Laboratory Medicine: A Trial of Two Italian Local Health Authorities
    AU  - Alessandro Camerotto
    AU  - Vincenza Truppo
    AU  - Alessia Pozzato
    AU  - Simone Bedendo
    AU  - Gabriele Angiolelli
    AU  - Arianna Lucchiari
    AU  - Massimo Tosini
    AU  - Alessandra Saggin
    AU  - Francesco Noce
    AU  - Stefano Rigo
    AU  - Alessio Gasparetto
    AU  - Roberto Mencarelli
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    PY  - 2017
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    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajcem.20170504.13
    T2  - American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine
    JF  - American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine
    JO  - American Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine
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    EP  - 122
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2330-8133
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajcem.20170504.13
    AB  - Laboratory tests play an important role in the diagnostic process. Unfortunately, their utility is at present affected by a significant rate of inappropriate prescriptions. The current strategies to solve the problem are not adequate. The aim of this study is to propose a structural solution through the Health Information Technology. Between the years 2008 and 2010, a methodology to prescribe laboratory tests with the aid of a Decision Support System (DSS), denomened Ermete, has been tested in collaboration with General Practitioners of Local Health Authorities of Rovigo and Mirano. The DSS, during the process of prescription, showed indications of appropriateness in real time and the general practitioner might or might not accept the indication. The number of prescriptions processed with DSS was compared with the number of prescriptions issued by the same physicians, in the same period of the previous year, without the assistance of the DSS. Results showed a decrease of the total number of prescriptions when the DSS was used. The reduction rate was 37.2% in Rovigo and 26.1% in Mirano. The achieved results showed that it is possible to perform the governance of prescriptions without political and administrative actions. The DSS was effective in reducing inappropriateness and in managing knowledge.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 4
    ER  - 

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