In general, approaches to the evaluation of medical decision-support systems are poorly conceptualized and implemented. While these systems are often justified on the basis of clinical benefit, evaluation activities focus on technical issues and in some cases influence on clinical processes. In 1994 Anderson & Aydin published 10 criteria for system assessment. These questions can be used systematically and ethically evaluate an informatics system prior to implementation:

1. Does the system work as designer?
2. Is it used as anticipated?
3. Does it produce the desired results?
4. Does it work better than the procedures it replaced?
5. Is it cost effective?
6. How well have individuals been trained to use it?
7. What are the anticipated long-term effects on how departments interact?
8. What are the long-term effects on the delivery of medical care?
9. Will the system have an impact on control in the organization?
10. To what extent do effects depend on practice settings?

So the effectiveness of a clinical decision-support system will depend on the answers of these questions; however in assessing studies of the effectiveness of medical decision-support systems, it is necessary not only to measure specific indicators, such as proportion of medication errors, but also to understand the underlying causes of those errors.