Computers in the intensive care unit: promises yet to be fulfilled

Computers, whether disguised as microprocessor-controlled bedside devices or obvious as electronic patient charts, are proliferating in intensive care units. The history of the relationship between computers and intensive care units suggests that their joint development has been characterized by customization of a device or a program to automate each specific task. Failure to develop standard definitions of clinical data, standards for their interpretation, or a comprehensive model of the process of critical care retards development of computer systems beyond device-dedicated microprocessors. An agenda that gives priority to systematic examination of definitions, descriptions, and processes of critical care over additional hardware and software development is recommended.