A POWERFUL MACROMODEL FOR THE COMPUTER PATIENT RECORD

Especially in the Netherlands, the introduction of computer patient re cords (CPRs) in primary care has been relatively successful. Specialis ts usually maintain more extensive records than general practitioners and it has proven to be a great challenge to design a CPR that is usef ul and practical for specialized care. In this paper, we present the d esign of a CPR for use by specialists in an outpatient clinic. The phi losophy underlying the design is that specialists may keep record in a relatively conventional way, while, at the same time, the system moti vates them to add structure to their data. Data can be presented in va rious views, each suitable for one or more specific tasks. The potenti al to benefit from these views depends on the degree of structure in t he recorded data. Since a CPR has to be faithful and permanent, explic it representation of observations, insights, and evolution of insight is also supported. The CPR system is in a final stage of implementatio n and will be evaluated in a clinical setting in summer 1994.