The Medical Gopher--a microcomputer system to help find, organize and decide about patient data

Abstract

We have developed a microcomputer-based medical workstation that does some of physicians' "gopher" work of fetching, organizing, reviewing and recording. For two years physicians have used the first version of this system to order all diagnostic tests in a general medicine clinic. They are about to use a newer version to write prescriptions and office visit notes and to find general medical and patient-specific information. Users can enter data into this system by "pointing" with a "mouse" to menu items displayed on a video terminal. In the course of a computer activity, a physician can obtain information about drugs, tests and different diagnoses, as well as about the patient. The microcomputer workstations are linked to each other and to a central hospital information system through a high-speed network link. Our physicians have accepted the initial order-entry system, and early experience suggests they prefer this faster and more sophisticated system.