XN000022-1983-01-30 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, JANUARY 30, 1983

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE COSTS OF HEALTH CARE HAVE BEEN STEADILY RISING OVER THE YEARS WITH AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT HAVING TO DO WITH THE PROCESSING OF MEDICAL INFORMATION AS WELL AS COMMUNICATIONS.

+ALTHOUGH SUCH COSTS HAVE NOT BEEN QUANTIFIED IN THE HONG KONG SETTING, OVERSEAS STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT BETWEEN 25 AND 40 PER CENT OF A HOSPITAL'S COSTS ARE RELATED TO INFORMATION HANDLING, HE SAID.

IN ADDITION, HE SAID, THERE ARE IMMEASURABLE BUT POTENTIALLY HIGH COSTS OF COMMUNICATION AND COMPUTATION ERRORS, WHICH INCLUDE THE LOSS OF DATA, ADVERSE EFFECTS OF MEDICATIONS SUCH AS DRUG INTERACTION, AND UNNECESSARILY PROLONGED HOSPITAL STAYS AND OTHER EXCESSIVE PATIENT EXPOSURE TO MEDICAL CARE PROCESS.

+WITH THE USE OF COMPUTERS SUCH ERRORS CAN BE EITHER MINIMISED OR ERADICATED AS THE MACHINES CAN ACCURATELY AND RELIABLY PROCESS MEDICAL DATA AND SPEED UP THE COMMUNICATION OF SUCH INFORMATION, HE ADDED.

THE USE OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM IN HOSPITALS WILL PROVIDE AN EFFICIENT MEANS OF KEEPING TRACK OF ADMISSIONS AND BEDSPACE, ESPECIALLY IN A REGIONAL HOSPITAL WHERE SOME 200 PATIENTS ARE ADMITTED AND DISCHARGED DAILY, IN ADDITION TO THE LARGE NUMBERS OF PATIENT TRANSFERS.

A COMPUTERISED SYSTEM IN HOSPITALS WILL HANDLE PATIENT ADMISSION, TRANSFER, RE-ADMISSION AND DISCHARGE PROCEDURES.

IT WILL ALSO CREATE AN ADMINISTRATIVE PATIENT RECORD AND UPDATE IT THROUGHOUT THE PATIENT'S STAY IN THE INSTITUTION.

PROVIDING ENQUIRY CAPABILITY FOR LOCATING PATIENTS UPON REQUEST AND PRODUCING VARIOUS CENSUS SUMMARIES AND REPORTS WILL BE ANOTHER FUNCTION OF THE COMPUTER.

IN THE HOSPITAL OUTPATIENT DEPARTMENT THE COMPUTER WILL HANDLE BOOKING OF APPOINTMENTS, CANCELLATIONS AND REQUESTS FOR CHARTS, X-RAY AND LABORATORY TESTS.

ADDITIONALLY IT WILL PRODUCE VARIOUS WORKLISTS, CREATE AND PRINT PATIENT IDENTIFICATION RECORDS, PROVIDE CAPABILITY TO SEARCH FOR AVAILABLE APPOINTMENTS, AND HANDLE BOOKED ADMISSION PROCEDURES AND PRODUCE STATISTICAL REPORTS ON THE WAITING LISTS.

THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE CONSULTANCY STUDY WILL BE TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF DEVELOPING A MEDICAL DATA BASE TO SERVICE INITIALLY THE OUTPATIENT APPOINTMENT AND SCHEDULING SUBSYSTEM AND THE HOSPITAL ADMISSION-BED CENSUS SUBSYSTEM.

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