Review of the Naval Health Research Center's Development of Medical Information Systems for Far-Forward Echelons of Care: 1983-1997
Abstract
It is imperative that medical treatment information be gathered quickly and accurately to ensure continuity of care at far-forward echelons. Each echelon employs a manual method of recording the medical information required for that particular level of care. The methods in use prior to and during the Vietnam War revealed the need for considerable improvements in medical information documentation, patient registration, patient tracking, facility status reporting, and effective transference of data throughout each of the first three echelons of care. The US military targeted these inadequacies for development; automation was determined as the direction in which documentation techniques could most significantly be enhanced. The Naval Health Research Center (NHRC) has been an integral part of the development of automation for the far-forward echelons of care. The prototypes designed by NHRC for Echelons I and II can successfully raise the standard of treatment while simultaneously reducing the number of individuals needed for administrative duties, and increasing the number of medical staff available for patient care. An overview of NHRC's work in automation from 1983 to 1997 is presented.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA381330
Entities
People
- Anne M. Tropeano
- William Pugh
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center