Application of computers in clinics in Singapore: status and doctors' perceptions

A survey of 67 private clinics in Singapore indicates a positive trend towards use of computer-based information systems for administrative and medical applications. The computerised clinics are generally large in terms of number of staff and number of patients, and have been in operation for 3 to 15 years. Specialist clinics have a greater tendency to use computers. The widely used applications in clinics with computers are word processing, accounting, database, medical billing, drugs inventory, laboratory billing and reporting, medical records tracking, and prescription processing. Clinics with computers find: (1) software are generally suitable, (2) objectives of computerisation have been generally achieved, (3) a slight increase in operating costs, (4) a slight increase in staff productivity, and (5) satisfactory vendor support. The responding doctors rate their knowledge of computers from average to poor. Doctors with computers in their clinics hold the perception that: (1) computers can adequately support clinic operations, (2) computer systems are reliable, (3) a genuine need exists for computers in clinics, (4) computers are useful as research tools, and (5) legal and ethical constraints may inhibit use of computers in medical applications. Further analysis of the data has identified some interesting correlations among clinic variables and among doctors' perception variables.