title: Optimizing medical practice using a computerized hospital information system. Example of blood transfusions.
abstract: The recent focus on medical risks and dollar cost of blood transfusion has resulted in the need to define guidelines for transfusion of blood products. In 1987, a computerized knowledge-based system was implemented at LDS Hospital to screen transfusion requests and flag those not justified by criteria defined by the medical staff. The use of red blood cells (RBC) for the 9 month period from July 1, 1988 was reviewed. The number of units ordered that met the criteria used by LDS Hospital was 90%. Our results showed there was a need to refine knowledge about transfusion therapy to help physicians optimize the use of blood products.
authors.affiliation: Département de Biostatique et Informatique Médicale, Hôpital Saint-Louis, Paris, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lepage
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Gardner
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Laub
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Golubjatnikov
mesh_terms: D001803:Blood Transfusion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006746:Hospital Bed Capacity, 500 and over; D006751:Hospital Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D014589:Utah