Not so fast! The dark side of computers in health care

There are now computers in numerous health care devices, from thermometers to ventilators, and there are pitfalls to avoid in our increasing dependence on computers. To be useful, information must be delivered in the right context. Computer systems must be protected from worms, viruses, and other harmful code, and they must prevent unauthorized access to data. The source of all underlying decision algorithms must be known and appropriate for the population being served. And there must be contingency plans to mitigate losses caused by system unavailability.