A Model-Integrated Approach to Implementing Individualized Patient Care Plans Based on Guideline-Driven Clinical Decision Support and Process Management- A

Abstract. Standardizing the care of patients with complex problems in hospital settings is a challenge for physicians, nurses and other medical professionals. In acute care settings such as intensive care units, the inherent problems of stabilizing and improving vital patient parameters is complicated by the division of responsibilities among different individuals and teams. The use of evidence-based guidelines for managing complex clinical problems has become the standard of practice. Computerized support for implementing such guidelines has tremendous potential. The use of model-based techniques for specifying and implementing guidelines as coordinated asynchronous processes is a promising new methodology for providing advanced clinical decision support. Combined with visual dashboards, which show the status of the implemented guidelines, a new model of computer-supported care is possible. These techniques are being applied to the management of sepsis in acute care settings at Vanderbilt Medical Center