Updates from AHRQ’s Clinical Decision Support (CDS) Program

This edition of the AHRQ’s Division of Digital Healthcare Research (DHR) CDS bulletin includes program updates and highlights opportunities to weigh in on CDS research by responding to Requests for Information (RFIs) from other federal agencies.

Share your thoughts on CDS!

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking input on two RFIs that involve CDS research and asks for input about where CDS work can continue across the Department.

The first RFI from NIH invites comments on NIH’s future Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy.  Its purpose is to develop an institute-wide AI strategy that charts a progression from today’s data-science-driven analytics through semi-autonomous AI agents to fully autonomous, self-documenting biomedical AI beings.  Under the section for ‘Research & Innovation Actions,’ NIH is seeking high-impact use-cases for AI in biomedical discovery, public-health protection, and CDS.  Submit comments by TUE July 15.

The second RFI from NIH’s National Library of Medicine (NLM) invites comments on the future of the NLM Biomedical and Data Science Extramural Research Programs.  In the past, CDS systems have been supported under the clinical informatics umbrella.  Now, NLM is looking for underexplored areas or for specific gaps in its current funding investments.  NLM wants to know how addressing these research gaps can lead to transformative impacts or advancements.  In addition to continuing support for clinical informatics, NLM seeks feedback on how to support emerging AI technologies that hold the most promise for advancing biomedical discovery, clinical decision-making, and public health interventions.  Submit comments by MON July 14.

CDS Program Website

The DHR CDS website formerly located at cds.ahrq.gov now redirects to a new page on the main DHR website.  The updated page features a consolidated project list and helpful links to current and past projects within our CDS portfolio.  Search for specific projects, download information from the database, and access the page any time from the ‘Tools and Resources’ tab on digital.ahrq.gov.

CDS Innovation Collaborative (CDSiC)

Now in its final year, the CDSiC is completing a range of products and resources aimed at advancing patient-centered (PC) CDS.  These innovations are designed for real-world use to empower patients and caregivers and activate shared decision making with clinicians.  Learn more about the project and resources on the project website here.  On May 6-7, 2025, CDSiC stakeholders convened virtually for the third AHRQ CDSiC Annual Meeting, “Smarter Health: Supporting Patient-Centered Clinical Decision Support Where It Matters Most.”  Sessions showcased the initiative’s progress and explored topics such as optimizing PC CDS for patients, real-world implementation strategies, and the role of AI.  In related news, the Journal of Medical Internet Research recently published a new paper from the AHRQ CDSiC Innovation Center outlining a unified framework for measuring PC CDS performance by integrating PC principles into traditional evaluation models.

CDS Connect: Successes and Future Impacts

After nearly a decade, AHRQ has sunset CDS Connect as it realigns its CDS program with HHS priorities.  Launched in 2016 in collaboration with The MITRE Corporation, CDS Connect served as a free web-based platform that enabled the CDS community to identify evidence-based care, translate and codify information using an interoperable health IT standard, and leverage tools to promote a collaborative model of CDS development.  For those interested in continuing to use CDS Connect resources, source code for several tools is freely available at AHRQ’s CDS GitHub site.  The CDS Connect community has already leveraged open-source tools to create new versions, such as the CDS Connect Authoring Tool - Community Edition hosted by HL7 FHIR Foundry.

If you have any questions or comments, please e-mail: clinicaldecisionsupport@ahrq.hhs.gov.