Point of care computing and its relevance to the United States' health care reform movement.
Reform of the U.S. health care delivery system is underway. In a nation spending close to 14% of its gross national product on health care, more than any other nation, and with an estimated 40 million Americans left uninsured, it is likely that significant changes will occur as part of this era of reform [1]. Innovative and judicious technology applications will serve as enablers as the U.S. seeks to provide universal access to health care services while controlling costs. The ability to access, collate, and interpret information at the point of care is essential to the basic restructuring of health care service delivery. This paper will present changes occurring within the U.S. health care industry and describe how information technology can be applied to reshaping the health care delivery system to optimize services at the point of care.
Albright
J W
JW
Bayfront Medical Center, St. Petersburg, FL 33701-4891, USA.
Marley
A L
AL
D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003195:Computer Communication Networks / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003363:Cost Control; D018166:Health Care Reform; D018578:Hospital-Physician Relations; D008838:Microcomputers; D019095:Point-of-Care Systems / Q000639:trends*; D012984:Software; D018511:Systems Integration; D014481:United States