COMPUTER-ASSISTANCE IN THE PRACTICE OF INTERNAL-MEDICINE

An overview is given of the possibilities of electronic support in the practice of internal medicine and of the preferred electronic environ ment in the hospital. For efficient exchange of information, mutual co operation between all departments and medical specialists in the hospi tal is of great importance. The development of a sufficient hospital i nformation system has to start with the composition of an information design, based on the concept of an open hospital database with connect ions to subsystems of the different departments and medical specialism s. Within this design basic, organizational, management and (medical) knowledge-providing programs can be applied. General, medical, scienti fic and organizational aspects of electronic support in internal medic ine are discussed with some practical examples. A brief comment is mad e on the necessity of using code numbers for diagnoses.