Contents:

INTRODUCING HEALTH DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS: THE HDSS DISCIPLINE * An Introduction to Health Decision Support Systems: Definition, Evolution, and Framework * Health Decision Support Systems and Executive Information Systems: Basic Characteristics, Structure, and Operation

ORGANIZING BASIC DESIGN AND SYSTEM COMPONENTS OF HEALTH DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS: HDSS THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES * Organizational Health Decision Support Systems: The Application of Systems Concepts, Chaos Theory, Quantum Mechanics, and Self-Organizing Systems * Data-Based Health Decision Support Systems: Perspectives on Population Health Data, Linked Databases, and Statistical Decision systems * Model-Based Health Decision Support Systems: Data Envelopment Analysis Models for Health Systems Performance Evaluation and Benchmarking * Knowledge-Based Health Decision Support Systems: Cognitive Approaches to the Extraction of Knowledge and the Understanding of Decision Support Needs in Health Care * Graphics-Based Health Decision Support Systems: Conjugating Theoretical Perspectives to Guide the Design of Graphics and Redundant Codes in HDSS Interfaces

CONTOURING MAJOR METHODOLOGICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL LANDSCAPES OF HEALTH DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS: HDSS APPLICATION TRENDS * Methods in Health Decision Support Systems: Methods for Identifying Pertinent and Superfluous Activity * Computational Intelligence: Neural Networks Methodology for Health Decision Support Automated Intelligence: Clinical Decision Support Systems, Expert Systems, and Expert Decision Support Systems * Health Decision Support systems in Nursing

SCREENING STRATEGIC AND PRAGMATIC CONSIDERATIONS IN HEALTH DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS: HDSS MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES * The Art of Macro-Micro View: Strategic Planning for Health Decision and Executive Support Systems * Building and Implementing Health Decision Support Systems: The Integration of Model Management Technology, Organization Management Technology, and User Interface Technology * Health Decision Support Systems for Technology Assessment: Toward a Decision Model of Health Technology Diffusion * Field-Based Evaluations of Health Decision Support Systems: Case Studies and Action Research

EPILOGUE: THE HDSS FUTURE * Telehealth: A Timely Technology to Facilitate Health Decision Making and Clinical Service Support * Charting the Future of Health Decision Support Systems: Future Perspectives, Trends, and Challenges