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.