Computers and networks in medical and healthcare systems

Information technology has an important and expanding role in the delivery of high quality healthcare services. Until recently health informatics systems have generally been developed as independent centralized databases. With computing communications technologies now being introduced into major hospitals, many new information services can now be provided to enhance the patient-care provider interaction. This paper firstly reviews (existing and currently evolving) information technologies related to text and image-based patient related data. A case study of the introduction of network services at the Austin Hospital, Melbourne, then describes the advantages of computing communication technologies in the healthcare environment, and outlines the strategy adopted to implement these services in a clinically advantageous cost-effective manner.