Use of a Clinical Decision Support System (DXplain) by Medical Students

Abstract

Introduction: Diagnosis is the main challenge in physicians’ duties, and it is fundamental to obtain optimal clinical results in patients. Physician professional activities require varying degrees of skills, but few are as difficult to cultivate as the ability to achieve a correct diagnosis. Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) can be used for this processes during medical training.

Objective: To explore medical students’ opinions on using a CDSS (DXplain) as learning material to analyze clinical cases.

Method: Observational study with a mixed sequential method. Second-year medical students of 3 generations (n = 3,132) of the National Autonomous University of Mexico Faculty of Medicine, participated using SADC (DXplain) in the Biomedical Informatics course. Students answered an online questionnaire of 12 statements with 4 response options: very inadequate, inadequate, adequate, and very adequate. The qualitative portion of the study used focus groups. For statistical analysis, the X2 test was used.

Results: The majority of users (84.9%) found DXplain system’s inclusion in the Biomedical Informatics course adequate or very adequate, and 92.3% would recommend DXplain to other students for their learning. By triangulating the quantitative and qualitative results, 3 categories related to the use of DXplain were found: 1) teachers who support its use, 2) motivation for clinical reasoning, and 3) usefulness for learning.

Conclusions: The students’ opinions were favorable regarding the use of DXplain as teaching material, at the initial stage of their career. DXplain must be efficiently implemented and used as supplement for developing clinical reasoning.