Development of a clinical decision support system for wound management at two hospitals in Singapore

A clinical decision support system (CDSS) for wound management is being implemented at two acute care hospitals in Singapore, the Tan Tock Seng Hospital and the National University Health System, in collaboration with the Nanyang Technological University. Wound management is a good domain for developing a CDSS as all hospital wards handle wounds of various kinds, by nurses with different levels of expertise and experience. A hospital may have only one or two wound care specialist, and a CDSS can enable ward nurses to handle more complex wounds and relieve the workload of the wound specialist. Wound management is challenging because of the different types of wounds, the difficulty in assessing the wound condition accurately, and the plethora of wound dressings and treatment options.