Unit 11 Computers in Health Care

Introduction Greatest advancement in information processing since invention of printing press Use of computers a necessity in health care

Uses in Health Care Hospital or medical information systems (HIS or MIS) Diagnostic testing Education of health care personnel Basic and applied research: statistical analysis of data

Computer Applications First used to simplify accounting procedures Medical and hospital information system (HIS or MIS)

Computer Uses in Health Care Word processing Compiling databases Scheduling Maintaining financial records Monitoring patients Performing diagnostic tests

Computer Uses in Health Care (continued) Maintaining inventories Developing spreadsheets Communicating through modems

Examples of Uses Admissions clerk Physician Pharmacist Dietician Laboratory technician Nurse Environmental service worker

Computer Uses and Issues Hand-held portable computer Confidentiality Contingency backup plan essential

Computer Applications for Diagnostics Computer-based diagnostic tests Analyzing blood tests Electrocardiogram (ECG) computerized interpretation systems Computerized tomography (CT) scanner Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Computer Applications for Diagnostics (continued) Positron emission tomography (PET) Ultrasonography Oncology

Summary Computers used as cost-effective and efficient tools Enhance quality patient care Used for many areas of health care Computer technology has had tremendous impact on health care field