Are your information systems ready for the year 2000?
With the approach of the year 2000, information systems professionals are analyzing potential problems associated with the century date. Because software programs use a two-digit number for the year portion of dates, current information systems will interpret 00 to be 1900 rather than year 2000, thereby causing massive disruptions in information processing. Healthcare information systems need to accurately transmit, retrieve, sort, and archive information by date in the next century to avoid adversely affecting patient care and financial operations. Although system vendors will help solve the problem by providing upgrades or conversion paths, healthcare organizations will need to make many of the required changes themselves. Healthcare organizations should understand the issues involved in the century date problem, define the solutions, make all necessary corrections, test all software and interfaces thoroughly, and implement and monitor all output. If they have not already done so, healthcare organizations should have plans in place soon to resolve information systems problems by early 1999.
Romzek
P J
PJ
SMS, Novi, MI, USA.
D002910:Chronology as Topic; D003284:Contract Services; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D005377:Financial Management, Hospital; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems / Q000592:standards*; D010350:Patient Credit and Collection; D012984:Software; D013995:Time; D014481:United States