Essential Technologies for Computer-based Patient Records: A Summary

Abstract

The purpose of this summary is to convey an overall view of the technologies that are relevant to or are exhibited in today’s computer-based patient record (CPR) systems and also to highlight those technologies that will be required to build the state-of-the-art CPR systems of the near future. The needs of users of systems are the most important consideration in the design and development of any computer-based system. It is important that the designers and implementers of systems understand not only the users, but also how they will use the system and what demands they will place on the system to meet their evolving needs. Some of these users and uses have specific technologic implications of which designers of CPR systems need to be cognizant. In general, current CPR systems do not address the information needs of many of these users.