The importance of hospital information systems (HIS) is unquestionable: they are an integral tool in facilitating the management of a hospital's medical and administrative information, thereby improving the quality of health care. Drs. Van de Velde and Degoulet's book, Clinical Information Systems: A Component-Based Approach, will detail the many components involved in the implementation of HIS. The book will feature several case studies from North America and Europe that serve to illustrate these components. The book will detail the extension of HIS to multi-site environments, which are implemented in an effort to better serve the public. Such extended networks are called community health information systems (CHIS) or networks (CHIN). Clinical information systems (CIS) is used in the direct management of the patient, and this book focuses on the implementation of an integrated and comprehensive CIS. Designed for use by all healthcare professionals, the book's chapter highlights include: Introduction: The Evolution of Health Information Systems; Frameworks: A Collection of Business Objects; The Patient Component; The Medical Record Component; The Knowledge Component; The Resource Management Component; The Security Component; and Imaging Management and Integration. The addition of case studies illustrates the role of these components, and a Glossary provides invaluable definitions for the reader's easy reference.

Introduction to Clinical Informatics fills a void in the Computer in Health Care series. With this volume, Patrice Degoulet and Marius Fieschi provide a comprehensive view of medical informatics and carry that concept forward into the realm of clinical informatics. The authors draw upon their experi ences as medical school faculty members in France, where informatics has long been integrated into the curriculum and where the French version of this very book has been used, tested, and revised. In intent and content, this volume stands as the companion volume to Introduction to Nursing Informatics, one of the series' best selling titles. For practitioners and students of medicine, pharmacy, and other health profes sions, Introduction to Clinical Informatics offers an essential understanding how computing can support patient care, clarifying practical uses and critical issues. Today medical schools in the United States are making informatics a part of their curriculum, with required medical informatics blocks at the onset of training serving as the base for problem-based learning throughout the course of study. In an increasingly networked and computerized environ ment, health-care providers are having to alter how they practice. Whether in the office, the clinic, or the hospital, health-care professionals have access to a growing array of capabilities and tools as they deliver care. Learning to use these becomes a top priority, and this volume becomes a valuable resource."

Hospital information systems (HIS) have become integral tools in the management of a hospital's medical and administrative information. With illustrated case studies, this book emphasizes clinical information systems (CIS) and their use in the direct management of the patient. Topics include the medical record, security, resource amangement, and imopaging integration.

The European Federation for Medical Informatics has established itself as a regional body coordinating activity in medical informatics. The Congress in Toulouse, MIE-81, from 9 - 13 March 1981, is the third congress in the ser ies following MIE-78 in Cambr idge, and MIB-79 in Berlin with a gap during 1980 for the world congress MEDINFO-80 in Tokyo. The rationale behind all these congresses is the scientific need to share results and ideas and the educational need to train a wide variety of professional staff in the potential of health care and medical informatics. All the caring professions are involved, doctors, scientists, nurses, para-medical staff, administrators, health care planners, community physicians, epidemiologists, statisticians, operations analysts together with specialists from the computing profession dealing with system analysis, hardware, software, languages, data-bases and the marketing of systems. Medical Informatics is a very wide subject with ramifications throughout the health care and preventive services; it offers a key to the monitoring and improvement of patient care and to the provision of a healthier environment. The collection and evaluation of relevant data improves our understanding of the ways in which health care is provided while the availability of cheaper computer hardware and more versatile software enables us to design and implement more revealing and intelligent medical systems. Even though typical systems take a substantial amount of time to design, implement and evaluate, there is the continuing need for informaticians to assess the current state of developmen.

Introduction to Clinical Informatics fills a void in the Computer in Health Care series. With this volume, Patrice Degoulet and Marius Fieschi provide a comprehensive view of medical informatics and carry that concept forward into the realm of clinical informatics. The authors draw upon their experi ences as medical school faculty members in France, where informatics has long been integrated into the curriculum and where the French version of this very book has been used, tested, and revised. In intent and content, this volume stands as the companion volume to Introduction to Nursing Informatics, one of the series' best selling titles. For practitioners and students of medicine, pharmacy, and other health profes sions, Introduction to Clinical Informatics offers an essential understanding how computing can support patient care, clarifying practical uses and critical issues. Today medical schools in the United States are making informatics a part of their curriculum, with required medical informatics blocks at the onset of training serving as the base for problem-based learning throughout the course of study. In an increasingly networked and computerized environ ment, health-care providers are having to alter how they practice. Whether in the office, the clinic, or the hospital, health-care professionals have access to a growing array of capabilities and tools as they deliver care. Learning to use these becomes a top priority, and this volume becomes a valuable resource.