Artificial intelligence and related clinical software tools substantially improve the quality of maternal healthcare, according to new research from the University of Birmingham and partner institutions. The study found that women were 1.69 times more likely to receive better care when AI-supported Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) were used.
Summary: A comprehensive review of over 12,000 studies reveals that AI and Clinical Decision Support Systems significantly improve pregnancy outcomes across both high-income and developing nations, analyzing data from more than 5.2 million pregnancies.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Understanding the Impact
“The government has made digital transformation of the NHS a top priority to improve quality of care and reduce costs, and Clinical Decision Support Systems will be a key technology in delivering these improvements,” notes Neil Cockburn, Health Informatics Research Fellow at the Department of Applied Health Sciences.
The extensive review examined nearly 50 different types of CDSS across 87 research articles, covering implementation in both high-income and developing nations. The analysis included data from over 5.2 million pregnancies, making it one of the largest studies of its kind.
Real-World Applications and Benefits
“Maternity services are under huge pressure in the UK and internationally, and that makes it challenging to offer safe services. We can see this in the huge rise in hospitals receiving support from the Maternity Safety Support Programme,” explains Cockburn.
The research highlighted several successful applications:
- Support systems helping women make informed decisions about vaginal birth after previous C-sections
- Risk-prediction models for identifying ectopic pregnancies
- Tools for safer clinical decision-making during pregnancy
The study found improvements across various scenarios, though effectiveness varied based on specific implementation and circumstances. This research represents the first systematic review of CDSS in maternal care, providing crucial evidence for future development.
Glossary of Terms
- Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS): Software tools that help healthcare workers and patients make informed medical decisions
- Meta-analysis: A statistical analysis combining results from multiple studies
- Ectopic Pregnancy: A pregnancy where the embryo develops outside the uterus
- NHS: National Health Service (UK healthcare system)
- Triage: Process of determining the priority of patients’ treatments based on severity
- mHealth: Mobile health technology applications
Quick Quiz
- By what factor did the odds of improved outcomes increase when using CDSS?
- How many pregnancies were included in the total data analysis?
- How many different types of CDSS were evaluated in the study?
Answers:
- 1.69 times (69% improvement)
- Over 5.2 million pregnancies
- Nearly 50 different types
For more information: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102822
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