Clinical Decision Support Innovation Collaborative
Problem
Patient-centered clinical decision support can bridge patient-centered outcomes research and clinical practice, but limited resources hinder its integration into the real world.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), through the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR) Trust Fund, launched a multi-component initiative in 2016 to advance PCOR into practice through clinical decision support (CDS). CDS refers to digital tools that help inform decisions about a patient’s care. Patient-centered clinical decision support (PC CDS) tools incorporate PCOR findings, other evidence, and patient-specific information—including goals and preferences—to inform care decisions that align with what matters most to the patient. A key priority for AHRQ’s CDS Initiative was advancing the uptake of evidence by making information available to both patients and clinicians through the use of digital technologies.
Solution
The NORC-led, AHRQ-funded CDSiC served as a central hub for advancing PC CDS through stakeholder-driven innovation and real-world testing.
To address the challenge of translating PC CDS into real-world practice, NORC led the Clinical Decision Support Innovation Collaborative (CDSiC) which was a large community of over 100 stakeholders including patients, clinicians, researchers, informaticians, health IT and PC CDS developers, payers and policymakers.
The CDSiC served as a proving ground of innovation, where the team developed practical resources (tools and methods) to support development, testing, implementation, and measurement of PC CDS in the real world. Through convenings, technical resources, and stakeholder-informed pilots, the NORC team supported broad stakeholder collaboration and continuous learning. Throughout the project, CDSiC was at the forefront of shaping the future of PC CDS by identifying gaps and opportunities to achieve a world in which patients, caregivers, and care teams receive evidence-based information to support shared decision-making. This approach reinforced NORC’s role as a thought leader with a deep commitment to advancing digital health and patient-centered care through innovation and meaningful stakeholder engagement.
Result
CDSiC advanced science and practice of PC CDS through 70+ actionable resources, pilot implementations and stakeholder engagement.
The CDSiC made notable progress in advancing PC CDS through a well-structured approach involving three Centers (Operations Center, Stakeholder Community and Outreach Center, Innovation Center) and four Workgroups (Measurement and Outcomes; Implementation, Adoption, and Scaling; Trust and Patient-Centeredness; and CDS Standards and Regulatory Frameworks). Key activities included engagement of 200+ experts, 100+ stakeholder meetings, and the development of 70+ actionable resources. These resources address a broad range of topics including patient engagement and trust, co-design, standards, implementation guidance, artificial intelligence-supported PC CDS, and measurement frameworks.
CDSiC generated significant impact—produced 12 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 25+ conference presentations, and extensive dissemination through monthly newsletters and social media, reaching over 3.3 million impressions. CDSiC’s resources helped address challenges in scaling and implementing PC CDS, fostering collaboration and advancing real-world applications. By engaging stakeholders and producing actionable outputs, the CDSiC significantly contributed to the development and integration of PC CDS.
Project Leads
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Prashila Dullabh
Vice President & Senior FellowPrincipal Investigator and Innovation Center Lead -
Rina Dhopeshwarkar
Principal Research ScientistAssociate Project Director & Operations Center Lead -
Priyanka Desai
Principal Research ScientistStakeholder Community and Outreach Center Lead -
Avantika S. Shah
Research ScientistProject Manager
Data & Findings
Manuscripts
Patient Trust, Engagement, and Preferences
PC CDS Implementation
Standards
Use of AI in PC CDS
Measurement
“The CDSiC demonstrated what’s possible when we partner with patients and design with purpose—building digital ecosystems where clinical excellence and patient goals and preferences are complementary forces in the pursuit of truly patient-centered care.”
