Abstract
The total hospital information system described in this report is intended for infallible and quick information transfer to each section or department of the hospital as the information is entered under the order entry method by the doctors and nurses serving as information source. Being composed of three minicomputers (DEC PDP 11-70), the system allows for mutual back-up even when one of the computers fails. The system is also of a triangular network configuration which allows shared access to the data in each minicomputer system. MUMPS is used as the operating system language. The information services provided by the system cover almost all departments of the hospital, including the consultation room for outpatients, nurse stations, clinical test room, pharmacy, food supply, medical management, patient accounting, and other related sections. The order entry method has resulted in the following benefits:
(1) Since information is transferred and processed ahead of the patient's, waiting time at the accounting window, blood collection station or pharmacy has been drastically reduced.
(2) Inter-department information exchange has been improved in terms of accuracy and speed, eliminating missing of test order, number-of-meals totalizing errors, etc.
(3) Missing of payment demand has been reduced, contributing to an increase in income.
(4) Once information is entered into the system, it can be used repeatedly without the need for reentry. This allows for systematic operation of each department service and reduces overtime or other expenditure.
The system also provides for periodical test order entry, access to prescription for the previous two times and the prescription information, registration of prescriptions for individual doctors and/or patients, urgent clinical test report, and its time-series display capabilities, thereby contributing to qualitative improvement of medical services.
