Shedding our illusions: a better way of medicine

Caregivers are constantly trying to organize their collective efforts in a way that serves the needs of individual patients. And patients themselves seek active involvement and control in their own care. Disorder in medical practice frustrates achievement of all of these goals. Escaping that disorder requires using information tools designed for two purposes: (A) combining patient data with medical knowledge more effectively than the unaided human mind permits, and (B) organizing the multiple processes involved in patient care.