title: The role of information technology in healthcare communications, efficiency, and patient safety: application and results.
abstract: The authors document the development and deployment of technology that serves to enhance healthcare communications, efficiency, and patient safety at an 881-bed, level 2 trauma center. This technology includes a patient-centric call process using real-time, rules-based task assignments and tracking software that guides personalized and timely response to the individual patient' needs and allows the mining of data for outcome analysis.
authors.affiliation: Information Technology, Huntsville Hospital, Huntsville, Alabama, USA. sue@aionex.com
authors.forename: Susan Buckles
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.forename: Donna M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Herrin
mesh_terms: D000407:Alabama; D003625:Data Collection; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000451:nursing; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006747:Hospital Communication Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006751:Hospital Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009737:Nursing Records; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration; D015397:Program Evaluation; D017751:Safety Management / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014193:Trauma Centers / Q000458:organization & administration