Main description:

The introduction of IT into healthcare has not followed a smooth path. In the early days, like-minded people came together from different professional backgrounds but with a shared interest in getting technology to work for patients and staff. This book contains recollections of the development of healthcare computing in the UK. It is an autobiography rather than a history.

Contents:

1 BCS involvement in health care informatics PART 1 THE BACKGROUND TO EARLY HEALTH INFORMATICS Introduction 2 Finance 3 Early innovations 4 Towards patient administration systems 5 National initiatives 6 Resource management 7 Electronic health records PART 2 DEPARTMENTAL SYSTEMS Introduction 8 Clinical laboratory and other diagnostic support services 9 Radiotherapy planning (1960-1980) 10 Medical imaging PART 3 CLINICAL SPECIALITIES Introduction 11 Clinical departmental systems 12 Clinical systems and audit 13 Specific systems PART 4 PRIMARY AND COMMUNITY CARE Introducton 14 The history or primary care computing in the UK 15 Community and public health 16 Consumer health PART 5 NURSING Introduction 17 Five decades of nursing informatics 18 Influencing factors for nursing information systems 19 Nursing events and organizations 20 Nursing information system development 21 Computers in nursing and patient education 22 Enabling technology and the future PART 6 COMMON ISSUES Introduction 23 Education in health care 24 Decision-support and expert systems 25 Confidentiality and security 26 Computer systems evaluation (1969-1980) 27 A personal view from the private sector 28 Developing the health informatics professional 29 Lessons for the future: the success or failure of health care computing APPENDICES 1 Timeline 2 Lead author biographies Index