Using Aggregate Patient Data at the Bedside via an On-Demand Consultation Service

Using evidence derived from previously collected medical records to guide patient care has
been a long-standing vision of clinicians and informaticians and one with the potential to
transform medical practice. As a result of advances in technical infrastructure, statistical
analysis methods, and the availability of patient data at scale, an implementation of this
vision is now possible. Researchers at Stanford University developed an on-demand
consultation service to derive evidence from patient data to answer clinicians’ questions
and support their bedside decision-making. The authors describe the design and
implementation of the service as well as a summary of their experience in responding to
the first 100 requests. Consultation results informed individual patient care, resulted in
changes to institutional practices, and motivated further clinical research. Stanford makes
the tools and methods publicly available to facilitate the broad adoption of such services
by health systems and academic medical centers.

https://catalyst.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/CAT.21.0224