HEE renews clinical decision support tool than can integrate with EPRs

Health Education England (HEE) is extending its current use of a clinical decision support tool which can be integrated with electronic patient record systems (EPRs).

BMJ Best Practice is a free resource that gives healthcare professionals quick and easy access to the latest clinical information which can help underpin diagnosis and treatment decisions, resulting in the best possible care for patients.

Updated daily, the tool is available via web or app and draws on the latest evidence-based research, guidelines and expert opinion to offer step-by-step guidance on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and prevention.

The capability of the tool integrating with electronic health record systems enables fast access within clinical workflows. The current provision is being offered for a further two years to all NHS staff and learners in England.

Sue Lacey Bryant, national lead for NHS knowledge and library services at HEE, said: “Over the last three years, we have seen how successful the roll out of BMJ Best Practice has been.

“There is growing evidence that integrating decision-making support into electronic systems is leading to quicker diagnoses and shorter hospital stays. We want to keep that momentum going, focusing on increasing the level of integration of BMJ Best Practice into the clinical workflow.

“It’s so important that multidisciplinary teams and all healthcare learners, including doctors in training, are confident to reach out to clinical evidence summaries for patient care and to help with their learning, wherever they work and whatever their profession or specialty.”

BMJ Best Practice is the only clinical decision support tool that has been procured at a national level for England. The tool was first made free to access for all NHS staff back in September 2020 and has been a huge success since.

Louise Crowe, director of knowledge at BMJ, said: “We are thrilled to see the positive impact BMJ Best Practice has on the daily practice of healthcare professionals.

“This is a result of the strong partnership between HEE and BMJ, with the shared goal of creating a better-supported and knowledgeable clinical workforce and to ultimately lead to better health outcomes for patients.”