Standardized acquisition of bedside data: the IEEE P1073 medical information bus

The absence of standards for medical device communications has stymied the acceptance and success of automated clinical data management systems. Even devices with simple RS-232 data output ports require special interfacing hardware and software. Due to the number and variety of medical devices available, each with their own peculiar data output configuration, it has been impractical to interface with most of them. Limited by manual data entry, most computerized patient data management systems have failed to deliver the productivity gains their users expected. The forthcoming IEEE P1073 Medical Information Bus (MIB) Standard promises to correct this situation with a single powerful bedside device interface method. The MIB will provide specifications for all hardware and software necessary for medical data communications. The MIB handles the need for automatic recognition of new devices placed at a bedside, automatic reconfiguration of the network, binding of a device to a particular patient's bedside and many other issues unique to the medical data communications environment. The MIB is expected to undergo formal IEEE balloting in 1990 and promises to open a new era in data management for clinical patient care.