Current status of a medical information system

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Computer Science
• Information Systems

Background:

• A pilot medical information system is currently operational, managing specific patient data categories.
• The system handles substantial data volumes, including diagnoses, prescriptions, lab tests, and screening examinations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation and capabilities of a pilot medical information system.
• To outline the modular development strategy for a future multifacility, computer-based health system.
• To detail the central system, computer-stored medical records, and a satellite pilot system.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of an integrated, direct-access patient computer medical record system.
• Modular development approach for scalable system expansion.
• Description of the central system architecture and satellite pilot data system.

Main Results:

• The pilot system successfully stores and retrieves data from 500,000 office visits, 300,000 outpatient prescriptions, 1 million lab tests, and 60,000 screening exams annually.
• Demonstrated feasibility of managing diverse medical data within a computer-based system.

Conclusions:

• The pilot medical information system serves as a crucial component in the long-term development of a comprehensive health data management system.
• The modular strategy supports the objective of a large-scale system for a population of one million individuals and one thousand physicians.