The Internet, the electronic medical record, the pediatric intensive care unit, and everything

This article details how computers have changed life for those of us in pediatric intensive care. A week of clinical activity is described, with a focus on the interactions with computer systems that have become an integral part of patient-care activities for many of us. It becomes clear that the boundaries between personal computers, hospital systems, and the Internet are often not sharply defined. Resources that are used every week may include those residing on a personal digital assistant, on the hospital's electronic medical record, or on a distant site on the World Wide Web. Key resources on the Internet (World Wide Web and e-mail) are identified. The technical underpinnings, particularly the network that provides the infrastructure for various resources, are described.