Mobile architecture for the Wishard memorial hospital ambulatory service

The introduction of portable computers into existing database systems requires traditional transaction mechanisms to be adapted to meet the needs of the mobile user. These mobile users utilise hand-held and laptop computers called mobile hosts, that can access the database from any location at any time. In this paper, we describe a mobile architecture that places mobile hosts on the ambulances of the Wishard Memorial Hospital Ambulatory Service. This mobile architecture is designed to support transactions created by a mobile host that may be disconnected from the network during the execution of these transactions. The environment for this mobile architecture is the Indianapolis Network for Patient Care and Research (INPCR) of Marion County, Indianapolis, Indiana. The INPCR, which was developed to provide patient care by presenting clinical data in a clear and efficient manner, utilises the distributed medical patient database of the Regenstrief Medical Record System (RMRS) as a data repository. The medical personnel of the ambulatory service are able to submit transactions to the patient database of the RMRS to access vital patient information. The transactions in this environment use the forward recovery of sagas to minimise the amount of recovery needed during transaction failure. By allowing the medical personnel (hospital emergency room staff and the emergency medical technicians of the Wishard Memorial Hospital Ambulance Service) the ability to store, retrieve, create, and evaluate the medical records of their patients, they can provide high-quality care in a time and cost effective manner. © Springer-Verlag London Ltd.