Critical care computing - Past, present, and future

Today, networks of personal computers can support much of the documentation required for bedside patient care. Success with patient documentation, however, has not led to marketing success. This awaits efforts in two areas. First, clinicians will need to restructure critical care to fully exploit the potential for the computer to enhance productivity. Second, vendors will need to go beyond simple documentation and provide tools that help clinicians analyze data, integrate it with knowledge, and link it to efficient workflow management. Only then will clinical information systems demonstrate compelling benefit and become finally-the standard of care.