Computerization of a diagnostic imaging department: a way of managing the health care complexity

Today, while the potentialities for communication networks and an increasingly sophisticated and widespread technology, have made social participation in the planet's events (global village) simultaneous, at the same time the human language is undergoing an ever increasing fragmentation and differences are not communicable. In medicine, the impossible communication of fragmentation has created a gap between society and science, health care service and patients, primary people's needs and superspecializations etc., that cannot be bridged. In this alarming situation, which poses economic, ethical and philosophical problems, difficulties in the organization and management have become even more pressing in an economic and administrative system which requires effectiveness and efficiency of the health care system. Departmental automation, in our case of the department of "Diagnostic imaging" and of the hospital system as a whole, may supply an adequate tool to "users-operators-administrators" for the management of the patient and of his/her illness through the integration and correlation between information, complementary resources, interaction between health operators and administrators. Diagnostic imaging is undoubtedly a complex and important crossroads for the patient and for the disease and computerization can markedly contribute in terms of "service efficiency", "intervention effectiveness" "quality assurance". In health care services, especially in a university setting, "information and knowledge packages" for education and research should be available. This "feasible dream" can come true only if dreamt by all. This means that operators responsible for the patient and the illness must be involved in a radical change of environment and behavior.