The importance of computer-based procedures for planning and documentation of orthopaedic surgery

The demand for efficiency in OR management and increase in the necessity of surgical documentation require the use of software applications in hospitals. A client-server based OP-planning and documentation system has been in use in the department of orthopedic surgery in Giessen University since 1992 and is being continously further developed. Aside from the lawful requirements, the demands of clinical doctors have been especially considered. The main functions are management of non medical patient data, scheduling and documentation of operations with coding of diagnoses and therapy, tissue banking, implant inventory, on call scheduling, storage of medical video images, clinical word processing and e-mail. With an integrated web-server, MedXS has the capabilities to offer functions accessible over any webbrowser (Netscape^TM, Internet-Explorer^TM) in the internet or intranet. Through the usage of this application clinical procedures could be more efficiently realized and better agreeing positions with the insurance companies could be reached.