XIII. Hospital Information Systems: G. Planning and Managing the Introduction of a Hospital Information System: Peripheral Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory Record, Office Accounting and Research System

A computerized Record, Office Accounting, and Research system (“ROAR”) has been developed for use in the Peripheral Vascular Diagnostic Laboratory of Montefiore Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The interactive, menu-driven system utilizes an in-office microcomputer for maintaining patient records with a dial-up link to a time-sharing system at the University of Pittsburgh for performing research activities. Formats for internal storage, screen editing, and printed reports are easily specified to permit additions of new forms and upward-compatible versions of old forms. An on-line patient directory and an expandable library of floppy diskettes provide a large capacity of storage for permanent patient records. An interestingly simple, cost-effective, but powerful combination of three processors using commercial and custom-written software is presented.