Abstract
This paper describes the process by which a department of psychiatry computerized its clinical services. The impetus to do so stemmed from several factors: 1. growth in the size of department units and 2. desire to improve the monitoring of patient care. Keeping tract of clients as they moved from one clinic to another was becoming increasingly difficult and the accuracy of statistics and reports was questionable when done manually.
A computer system which joins all the services under a single communication network is a major step forward in addressing these issues. The program is described in detail; it allows the clinician to record various clinical, administrative and demographic data. For those patients who return to the hospital, this information will be available immediately and the data can be updated as it changes. Many different reports can be generated. Finally, our research capability will be improved and expanded.
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We wish to acknowledge Drs. English, O'Connell, Abright, McCarrick, Kowallis, Mayo and Naegele whose suggestions and ideas were important, and without whom this project would not have been successful.
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Lombroso, P., Eng, L. Computerizing a department of psychiatry. Administration in Mental Health 15, 102–109 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00819350
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00819350