A FRAME-RELAY APPROACH FOR A STATE-WIDE HEALTH INFORMATION NETWORK

An approach for a frame-relay implementation is described which is int ended to establish connectivity between the health care providers in t he state of Connecticut with a gateway to the internet. While other he alth care networking efforts have based the interconnectivity efforts on direct connections to the internet for each institution, our design takes a more cost effective approach by establishing a private health care network with a single entry point to the internet. This will not only provide the advantages of internet connections to all participat ing providers, but it will also isolate intrastate patient care traffi c from the internet, reserving internet traffic for those information needs not available within the statewide network. In addition to the n etwork solution, an extensive user support infrastructure is also pres ented.