Back to Search Start Over

Protocol of digital decision support system (DDSS) embedded within a tele-primary healthcare platform in Pakistan: an assessment of usability, acceptability, effectiveness and perceived quality of care in a resource-constrained setting

Authors :
Shehla Zaidi
Iffat Zafar Aga
Sara Saeed Khurram
Mahek Karim
Hasan Nawaz Tahir
Shifa Habib
Rawshan Jabeen
Anny Dhanwani
Samrah Jawed
Lorena Guerrero-Torres
Abdul Momin Kazi
Source :
BMJ Open, Vol 14, Iss 9 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
BMJ Publishing Group, 2024.

Abstract

Background A digital decision support system in healthcare is a digital health intervention that assists healthcare professionals in decision-making by providing treatment recommendations and enhancing diagnostic accuracy and quality of care. This will be the first study in Pakistan to assess the system’s usability, acceptability and effectiveness in improving healthcare outcomes while also evaluating the perceived quality of care. This comprehensive assessment will inform policy development in areas such as the scale-up of digital health interventions, data privacy and technology interoperability. Measures of effectiveness will include changes in clinical outcomes through a patient exit feedback survey. This study aims to evaluate the role of digital decision support systems in healthcare decision-making, which may be integrated into Pakistan’s tele-primary healthcare system.Methods The study will employ a multimethod approach. The data collection tools are adapted from the WHO’s digital health intervention monitoring and evaluation framework and include a technology assessment, healthcare provider surveys, patient exit interviews and focus group discussions with healthcare providers. Purposive sampling will be used for qualitative interviews with providers (doctors) and patients. Government stakeholders, private sectors, multilateral, academia and policymakers will be engaged through a consultative meeting. We will also conduct a literature review, as well as a comprehensive analysis of existing studies, documents and data relevant to digital decision support systems and digital health interventions implemented globally, and assess the performance, challenges and opportunities.Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the Ethics Review Committee at The Aga Khan University (2023-8514-26533). The dissemination of study findings through scientific publications and seminars will enable programme managers and policymakers to design tools to improve the quality of care provided through telemedicine platforms. This will contribute to efficient decision-making, access and quality of care for primary healthcare in low-income and middle-income countries. This study will also inform policy regarding the scale-up of decision support systems in primary care settings, data privacy and technology interoperability.

Subjects

Subjects :
Medicine

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20446055
Volume :
14
Issue :
9
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
BMJ Open
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.008c5b9dadf749c484fbcc78cca2af43
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082167