Respiratory therapy as a component of an integrated hospital information system: the Parkland On-Line Information...

Information handling is an important part of the activities of health care professionals, and the Parkland On-line Information System (POIS)--a computerized hospital information system--was established to more efficiently handle the processing and storage of information in our institution. Computerization of a respiratory therapy department is more effective if done in the context of a comprehensive, integrated hospital information system. Information and requests for services flow into the respiratory therapy departmental computer from other hospital terminals, and information, such as patient charges and statistical data, flow out of the departmental computer to those requesting such information. POIS is an implementation of the IBM Patient Care System. We have found that a computerized hospital information system can facilitate patient care by easing the burden of information processing.