LABORATORY COMPUTING - PROCESS AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SUPPORTING HIGH-QUALITY, COST-EFFECTIVE HEALTH-CARE

One currently observes many healthcare institutions rushing to reengin eer and install information systems with the expectation of achieving enhanced efficiency, competitiveness, and, it is hoped, higher patient satisfaction resulting from timely, high-quality care. Unfortunately, information system concepts, design, and implementation have not yet addressed the complexity of representing and managing clinical process es. As a result, much of the synergy one might expect to derive from u nderstanding and designing clinical processes to gain efficiency and q uality while maintaining humanness is not readily achievable by implem enting traditional information systems. In this presentation, with lab oratory services as an example, we describe a conceptually different i nformation systems model, which we believe would aid care-givers in th eir efforts to deliver compassionate, quality care while addressing th e highly competitive nature of market-driven healthcare.