Perspectives Of Information Processing In Medical Applications: Strategic Issues, Requirements And Options For The European Community (health Systems Research)

Europe faces a challenge: how to apply information and communication technologies to health care. One problem is the widening gap between the expectations of citizens and the limited resources available to provide health services. It is here that advanced technology can serve as an important tool to find innovative and more efficient ways of delivering health services. This book reports the summary of a study performed under contract by a team of consultants for Directorate-General XIII of the Commission of the European Communities. It analyses the key factors governing the evolution of advanced information systems for health care and medicine in Europe and provides guidelines for placing current and future work within the framework of the Community research and development programmes. Front Matter....Pages i-ix Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Challenges and Opportunities....Pages 3-4 Status and Trends....Pages 5-11 Shaping Forces....Pages 13-17 Recommendations....Pages 19-22 Front Matter....Pages 23-23 Background....Pages 25-26 Goals of a Future Action....Pages 27-27 Proposed Framework for Analysis and Definition of Actions....Pages 29-31 Guidelines for the Identification of Needed Actions....Pages 33-34 Identification of Major IHE Requirements and Priority Tasks....Pages 35-63 Front Matter....Pages 65-65 Alphanumeric Data and Text Coding Standards....Pages 67-82 Images and Biosignals, with Coding Standards....Pages 83-99 Medical Instrumentation and Devices....Pages 101-127 Knowledge Based and Decision Support Systems....Pages 129-142 Multimedia Workstations....Pages 143-156 Communication Networks and Archiving Systems....Pages 157-196 Modularity and Integration of Medical and Health Information Systems....Pages 197-212 Regulatory Tools and Incentives....Pages 213-256 Back Matter....Pages 257-317