The Impact of Computers on Ambulatory Health Care

Abstract

In recent years rapid advances in computer science have resulted in successful applications in virtually all areas of science and industry. The ambulatory health care site is an area where computers can both facilitate and expand the several missions of the primary care physician. University clinics and large health maintenance organizations have already demonstrated the feasibility of computer use for purposes of financial management, patient care and research. Yet in spite of decreasing hardware costs and increasing versitility and sophistication of software the pace of computer introduction into the ordinary health care site (i.e. single handed or small group practices) has been surprisingly slow. It may be useful therefore to examine some of the factors that effect computer use at these sites. This report will give considerable attention to classification systems because they structure in a logical and hierarchical manner patient information, which is an essential first step in creating useful and appropriate computer software.