Computers in anesthesiology and intensive care. User attitudes to a real-time patient data display system

Wythenshawe Hospital is a large district general hospital, with an important Cardio-Thoracic department. A developed DNTRODUCED into this area and its attendent laboratories two years ago. Six months after hardware commissioning the system was fully operational throughout the whole department and during the past two years most of the additional user requirements, including calculations, have been met. This paper describes the attitudes and acceptance by doctors, nurses, laboratory and para-medical staff to the concept of recording all patients clinical information within this environment, via a computer system. Staff considered that both input and retrieval of information had been improved by computer assistance, and telephone call within the department had been reduced. Nurses and technicians prefered computer assistance to the old system of manual record keeping, but clinicians appeared less decided. However, all groups trusted the computer.