Resp Care
-
Information handling is an important part of the activities of health care professionals, and the Parkland On-line Information System (POIS)--a computerized hospital information system--was established to more efficiently handle the processing and storage of information in our institution. Computerization of a respiratory therapy department is more effective if done in the context of a comprehensive, integrated hospital information system. ⋯ POIS is an implementation of the IBM Patient Care System. We have found that a computerized hospital information system can facilitate patient care by easing the burden of information processing.
-
Digital computers are becoming important diagnostic and research tools in the pulmonary function laboratory. Their applications include generating reports, file-keeping analyses of data from spirometry and stress testing procedures, graphically presenting data, and statistically reducing research data. The computer can be used to develop models of the respiratory system that can be practically applied to obtain more detailed information concerning the flow-limiting aspects of airway segments during forced exhalation. With the computer system's intended use in mind, the purchaser should consider a computer system's capacity, the expandability of the system, the manufacturer's reliability and service record, and the availability of necessary software.
-
Computer-age technology is changing the face of respiratory therapy as it is that of nearly every other technical field. In some hospital respiratory therapy departments computers are presently being used for a wide range of functions such as blood gas result reporting, billing, budgeting, purchasing, hemodynamic calculations, and respiratory monitoring. Microprocessor-controlled ventilators and respiratory monitoring systems are becoming increasingly utilized. ⋯ Respiratory therapists must recognize and rise to the challenge that computer-age technology presents if they are to continue as intensivists. The worst possible development of the future for respiratory therapy would be for computer-age technology to be applied to respiratory therapy without the input and inclusion of respiratory therapists. The challenge then is to be adequately prepared to utilize and apply this inevitable new computer-age technology.
-
The largest change in spirometric pulmonary function testing in the last 10 years has been the introduction of the digital computer for data acquisition and reduction. Computer-assisted spirometry can enhance the effectiveness of spirometric testing by increasing test accuracy, increasing patient acceptance, and decreasing the time necessary to complete the test and its interpretation. Any computer-assisted spirometer should be easy to use and should clearly display and properly report test results. I recommend that the American Thoracic Society Standards for spirometric testing be used by pulmonary function laboratories and that test interpretation made by a computer be verified.
-
Computers are now in widespread use in pulmonary function laboratories, where they have made an important contribution by assisting with complex and repetitive tasks. They can be used to acquire data from testing instruments, make measurements and calculations, and prepare reports. ⋯ As a result of our experience with this system, we have found six definable steps between data acquisition and data interpretation: (1) establish quality instrumentation, (2) establish adequate procedures for test performance, (3) standardize measurement and computational techniques, (4) determine the adequacy and reproducibility of results and apply a test selection, (5) identify the measurements to be used for interpretation, and (6) apply strategies that lead to consistent interpretation of results. Because spirometry and blood gas tests account for the major activities of our pulmonary function laboratory, we have applied these six steps necessary for computer decision-making to these two two tests; however, they are equally applicable to other tests in the pulmonary function laboratory.