What key distinction separates the earliest CDSS iterations from today's integrated workflow?
The earliest iterations were standalone programs, separated from Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
A crucial historical distinction when tracing the progression of Clinical Decision Support Systems is understanding that the initial invention was not initially tied to modern digital infrastructure. While today's utility is heavily dependent on direct integration within Electronic Health Records (EHRs)—allowing for real-time alerts like drug interaction warnings upon order entry—the first systems were entirely separate entities. They often ran on mainframes or dedicated workstations and operated independently of the primary patient record system. This meant the initial invention was driven purely by the conceptual challenge of knowledge representation and inference, existing separately from the integrated digital workflow that defines contemporary clinical support tools.
