See the light: Project Spectrum solves some of healthcare's most challenging IT problems.
BJC Health System, St. Louis.


OBJECTIVE
Changes in healthcare, including the growth of managed care forced administrators at BJC to find new ways to address patients' needs across the entire continuum of care. To meet this challenge, disparate legacy information systems had to begin communicating.


METHODS
BJC officials turned to IBM, along with Kodak, Southwestern Bell and Motorola, for the creation of Project Spectrum--a system that reaches beyond the boundaries of this acute care facility.


RESULTS
Project Spectrum accomplishes three goals: allows access to clinical data from anywhere in the health system; is user friendly and fast; and provides the tools for better and efficient care.


CONCLUSIONS
"There is no quick fix. True integration means a long-term, institutional commitment to information system objectives."
Weiss
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D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D020407:Internet; D008331:Management Information Systems; D008923:Missouri; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D016730:Program Development; D018511:Systems Integration