Computer-based shared care : a study on electronic data interchange applied to diabetes care

The need for information for the delivery of good quality health care is growing rapidly. As in other areas of society, computer technology plays an ever-growing role in managing this information. Hammond, reviewing the development of Hospital Information Systems, indicates that health care has failed to keep pace with the rise in computing power and communications technology, possibly because of the complexity of health care and the large variety of individuals working with the systems. He underlines the importance of these systems for collecting, storing, processing, retrieving, and communicating patient-related data, not only between hospital departments but also between hospitals and other care providers. He concludes that "clinical information is not the property of a single facility but rather [ .. ] part of a global resource which focuses on the patient-centered record". Buffone and Beck support this view: "Patient care typically requires that multiple providers share data and information in a facile and relevant manner"