A conceptual framework for managing clinical processes

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Computer Science Applications in Medicine

Background:

• Healthcare delivery systems are undergoing significant reengineering.
• The transformation of patient care information recording is leading to computer-based records.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the application of object-oriented analysis and design for clinical process reengineering.
• To detail the organization of clinical data within a reengineered framework.
• To discuss the suitability of the proposed framework for implementing workflow computing.

Main Methods:

• Object-oriented analysis and design principles were employed.
• The methodology focused on reengineering clinical processes.
• Strategies for organizing clinical data were developed.

Main Results:

• Successful development and implementation of clinical process reengineering.
• An organized structure for clinical data was established.
• The framework demonstrated feasibility for workflow computing implementation.

Conclusions:

• Object-oriented design is a viable approach for clinical process reengineering and data organization.
• The proposed framework supports the integration of workflow computing in healthcare.
• This approach facilitates the transformation towards computer-based patient records.