Computer support for clinical and ancillary support areas

Military medicine is aggressively meeting the need for enhanced information flow and improved efficiency in the delivery of health care by implementing automated systems. A Department of Defense (DOD) Agency, the Tri-Service Medical Information Systems (TRIMIS) Program office, is centrally procuring automated data processing to support clinical and patient appointment activities within the DOD health care system of 165 hospitals and 287 clinics. The procured systems are then implemented with the assistance of the military departments. Systems are now supporting cardiology, pharmacy, radiology, clinical laboratory, and patient appointment and scheduling. Capabilities of all these systems are detailed in the paper. To date, the TRIMIS efforts have contributed significantly to more efficient information processing, thus ensuring continued quality health care through the DOD.