Abstracts » Health

Medical informatics

Article Abstract:

Improvements in computer technology, the Internet and the development of wireless and satellite communications have led to several innovations in medical informatics. Telemedicine involves transmitting images and other information to and from medical centers. It could lower costs substantially by allowing physicians and nurses to participate in a patient's treatment without having to travel to the site. Many medical journal publishers are supplementing their traditional printed product with a site on the Internet. This is facilitated by their adoption of the standard generalized markup language (SGML), which uses standard tags imbedded in the text that allows the integration of text supplied by different publishers. The Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) and Health Level 7 standards can be used in telemedical applications. The development of the electronic patient record has generated concerns about confidentiality.

Analysis, Telecommunications systems, Electronic publishing, Medical records, Access control

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Computers in medicine

Article Abstract:

Computers are being used in medicine to aid cost-control efforts and quality of patient care. More physicians are using databases to search for the latest medical information. One reason for this is the introduction of Grateful Med, an easy-to-use search interface to MEDLINE, the database of the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Since its introduction in 1986, the number of MEDLINE users increased from 5,000 to 100,000. Automated patient records would provide the basis for judging the effectiveness of research, but universal systems have not yet been developed. The High Performance Computing and Communications program has been instituted by the U.S. government to provide usage in several fields, including health care. The Visible Human Project shows the three-dimensional anatomy of a cadaver.

Usage, Innovations, Computers, Digital computers

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Medicine and Health on the Internet: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Article Abstract:

The National Library of Medicine is actively working with members of the Internet community to develop Internet-based health information sources. There are many health information sources on the Internet, but the Internet will have to change in order to provide patients with access to their medical records. The library's Next Generation Internet project will focus on the type of technology needed to support health applications. One of the biggest problems is providing medical records online while protecting patients' privacy.

Internet, Information services, United States. National Library of Medicine

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