The influence of ease of use and provision of explanations in practitioner use of medical decision support systems

This study describes a survey and subsequent observation of the use of a medical decision support system by pediatricians at the University of North Carolina Medical Center. The study was conducted to study how system design issues such as ease of use and provision of explanations affect residents' use of the expert system. Use of the system recommendations varies by resident and patient. Residents for the most part find the decision support system useful and helpful for routine physicals, but for patient visits that are more particular in nature, residents find that they must rely on their own expertise to provide the appropriate and fitting level of treatment. The presence of multiple reporting systems also dilutes the efficacy of the decision support system. Issues of trust in the system recommendations and its explanations of those recommendations are also relevant