Laboratory computing--process and information management supporting high-quality, cost-effective healthcare.

One currently observes many healthcare institutions rushing to reengineer and install information systems with the expectation of achieving enhanced efficiency, competitiveness, and, it is hoped, higher patient satisfaction resulting from timely, high-quality care. Unfortunately, information system concepts, design, and implementation have not yet addressed the complexity of representing and managing clinical processes. As a result, much of the synergy one might expect to derive from understanding and designing clinical processes to gain efficiency and quality while maintaining humanness is not readily achievable by implementing traditional information systems. In this presentation, with laboratory services as an example, we describe a conceptually different information systems model, which we believe would aid care-givers in their efforts to deliver compassionate, quality care while addressing the highly competitive nature of market-driven healthcare.