Community hospital computer links distant physicians

• Published in: Health systems review Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 34 - 36
• Main Author: Guiney, M A
• Format: Magazine Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Federation of American Health Systems 01.05.1994
• Subjects: Accounting; Case studies; Catchment Area (Health); Competitive advantage; Computer Communication Networks - organization & administration; Computer networks; Employees; Family physicians; Health administration; Health care industry; Hospital Bed Capacity, under 100; Hospitals; Hospitals, Public - organization & administration; Hospitals, Rural - organization & administration; Information systems; Islands; Laboratories; Medical records; Medical Records Systems, Computerized - organization & administration; Modems; Patients; Physical therapy; Physicians; Physicians' Offices; Rural areas; Rural health care; Washington; Washington; United States > US
• ISSN: 1055-7466

Island Hospital (Anacortes, Washington), a 43-bed public district hospital, has implemented an information network that connects the hospital to all the area physicians. The system provides electronic linkage from the hospital's mini-computer - a Digital Equipment Corp. VAX 4000-500 - to 8 in-house physician offices and 30 remote physician office locations. The Meditech Hospital Information System allows the physicians' access to their patient's entire hospital medical record. Physicians also are given the option of selecting from a menu of shared service programs. While managing the implementation, it was noted that the hospital staff re-examined how they worked as a result of the new physician link. It was necessary to develop systems that addressed not only the hospital's needs, but also those of the physician office practice. Everyone of the 47 doctors knows how to use the system. The number of telephone calls to medical records, laboratory, and radiology services have dramatically decreased as a result of the shared information system.