Medinfo. MEDINFO
-
1. BACKGROUND. The goal of the PEN&PAD (Elderly Care) project is to develop a patient record system to assist the many different professionals that care for patients in a hospital setting. ⋯ Thereafter, the file becomes read-only. We are currently putting a prototype clerking system through field trials with clinicians from of a local hospital. In our demonstration, we hope to elaborate on these trials and their outcomes.
-
One of the major administrative dilemmas facing the Australian national health care system is the need to reform practices associated with massive data-information overload. The current system is burdened with paper-based administrative forms, patient record files, referral notes and other manual methods of data organisation. An integrated computer-based information system may be perceived as an attractive solution to such burdens. ⋯ Australia needs to develop a coherent national health information infrastructure policy to ultimately avoid fragmented, duplicated and incompatible systems that rely on different standards and protocols. Such a policy will only work by addressing the key issue of patient privacy within a technological framework. The application of IT to health care systems is a sensitive social experiment affecting many professions including general practitioners, medical administrators, politicians, lawyers, computer specialists, privacy advocates and patients whose records will ultimately reside in the system. (abstract trun
-
SIDOCI (Système Informatisé de DOnnées Cliniques Intégrées) is a Canadian joint venture introducing newly-operating paradigms into hospitals. The main goal of SIDOCI is to maintain the quality of care in todayUs tightening economy. SIDOCI is a fully integrated paperless patient-care system which automates and links all information about a patient. ⋯ In addition, functions inherent to a patient's clinical cycle such as Administrative Management of episodes, Adaptation to physical and professional structures of the hospital, Messages between health professionals, and Electronic signature constitute the basis of SIDOCI. The most exciting aspect of this research project is its social impact: a more efficient health care system will improve the lives of all citizens. Moreover this applied research project involves the information industry and directly calls for the input of users such as doctors, nurses and hospital support staff.
-
Shortcomings of Paper Medical Records have been well recognized: limited readability, completeness, consistency, availability, structure, etc. Although electronic storage solves the problems of availability and legibility, data analysis and decision support require more than free text in electronic form. Although many information systems contain diagnoses and lab data in coded form, findings have often been left to free text. ⋯ The mother record and a specialized record for the out-patient clinic of cardiac failure have been developed with the Department of Internal Medicine and the Thorax Centre of the Academic Hospital Rotterdam. The demonstration will show the versatility of both records. The application runs on a Unix platform with the use of an Interbase DBMS, OSF-Motif windows, and the Hermes kernel.
-
This demonstration will present the key modules from an innovative videodisc-based program that was designed as an educational tool for health care professionals. It provides a resource for learning to deal with patients and families regarding the increasing problematic area of end-of-life-decisions. Tough Choices: Ethics, the Elderly, and Life-Sustaining Technologies is an interactive program that combines abstract ethical approaches with the realistic drama of a critical care setting. ⋯ The program incorporates practical steps involved in implementing the Patient Self-Determination Act as it follows the patient from the time of hospitalization through a series of life-threatening crises. Two very different aspects of the role of the health care professionals were explored: a crisis mode which covers the steps in managing a full-blown crisis situation, and a prevention mode which analyzes steps that could have been followed to keep an ethical crisis from occurring. The strong role models for practice display many of the characteristics that the helping professions need to foster in an atmosphere of healthcare reform.