Protocol system

A computer-based protocol system is a paradigm providing a set of tools which allow health care providers access to current guidelines which they can apply in practice.<ref name="auto">Coiera, E. (2003) Guide to Health Informatics. Great Britain: Hodder Education</ref> Studies have shown that protocols can aid in optimising patient care.<ref>,

 Effects of a supportive protocol processing system (ProtoVIEW) on clinical behaviour of residents in the Accident and Emergency department, 
 Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, 
 1996,
 Vol. 49(Issue: 2),
 pp. 177–184,
 DOI: 10.1016/0169-2607(95)01714-3,</ref> There are two types of protocol systems: passive and active.

In a healthcare setting, a protocol, also called a medical guideline, is a set of instructions which describe a process to be followed to investigate a particular set of findings in a patient, or the method which should be followed to control a certain disease.

Passive protocol systems

Passive protocol systems are a source of information which health care providers have the freedom to choose to consult or not; they are not intrinsically incorporated into the healthcare process. The purpose of a passive protocol system is to give healthcare providers access to information which may remind healthcare providers of steps during patient care which may otherwise be forgotten or changed.<ref name="auto"/>

Active protocol systems

Active protocol systems are specific guidelines for healthcare providers to follow. They are a central way which healthcare is delivered. Examples of active protocol systems include trigger-automated order entry systems and appointment scheduling. Active protocol systems may provide an explanation function which offers background information, definitions, risks, and the rationale that supports specific recommendations.<ref name="auto"/>