Does the shoe fit? Applying lessons learned in aviation to healthcare

Aviation's successful use of Decision Support Systems (DSS) has not been replicated in the healthcare subset of DSS referenced as Clinical Decision Support (CDS). Here the domains of healthcare and aviation are compared and contrasted providing an overview of the adaptation of lessons learned in aviation to healthcare. We propose there are differences in characteristics inherent to the contexts of aviation and healthcare that affect the data necessary for efficient, effective CDS systems. Specifically, ten context characteristics are discussed that jointly and separately affect the availability, quantity, quality and temporal relevance of the data. By providing remedies for overcoming deficiencies and supporting accurate representation of the data perhaps then CDS systems will meet their potential for improved adoption, user satisfaction and patient outcomes.