Use of Clinical Decision Tools Across Urgent and Primary Care: Recognising Barriers and Challenges

Background: Clinical Decision Tools (CDTs) are widely used in medical and advanced practice roles to support decision-making and risk-stratify clinical outcomes. Many CDTs are included in national guidelines; however, substantial evidence suggests they are not used appropriately to guide clinical decision-making in practice. Aims: To understand the barriers and challenges to clinicians using CDTs in urgent care and primary care settings. Methods: The STARLITE guidance for systematic literature reviews was utilised. Eleven articles were included in this literature review, which utilised a mixed methodology and was critically analysed to identify themes. Findings: Three distinct themes were found to contribute as barriers to using CDTs in urgent and primary care settings: time constraints, perceived benefit and alarm fatigue. Conclusion: This literature review has shown that compliance with CDTs is a multifaceted issue. Clinicians should be aware of the evidence base and benefits that CDTs provide with their inclusion in national and local guidance. Moreover, further research must be conducted into usability, integration into IT systems, and the impact of alarm fatigue, which is identified as a potential threat to patient safety.