[Gnumed-devel] "where software dictates the medical workflow "

[Philipp Walderdorff]

>There are times when I believe software in hospitals kills patients. Well 
>maybe not directly and there is no way I can prove it but I know at least two 
>people that may still be alive had software vendors applied some ethical 
>guidelines to there software. 

>I know places where software dictates the medical workflow and leads to 
>serious if not fatal complications. Worse is a pseudo paperless environment 
>where patients suffer because the important information is put down on paper 
>but noone gets to see it or expects it outside the software environment.

>What can you do about this ? ... 

>Good thing about it is that now I make darn sure GNUmed doesn't implement the 
>same flaws.

... And I had proposed a program to implement guidlines in the medical 
workflow of diagnostic....! 
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/gnumed-devel/2006-09/msg00053.html

I am aware, that it can be a big problem, even judicial, to implemente a 
diagnostic aid which is not up to date.

Nevertheless it will be future need to implemente guidlines-workflow in a 
program for general medicine.

The solution would be to offer checklists that can be used or not, or only 
partly used by the GP. Large checklist are useless. Therefor checklist has to 
be reduced to a minimum. Case-sensitive.

The idea is not to lead the workflow, but give the opportunity to enter datas 
by offering the fields, that are necessary rigth now. Suitable to the 
possible workflow rigth now.
The aid would be to remember important questions and to give the opportunity 
to enter the answer, simple and quick.


In praxis-software nowaday this prozess is normally written in alphanumeric 
fields where one can write full-text or individual  mnemonics. This is OK 
with simple cases (which is true in most cases).

But for more complicated cases we would need an aid for documentation which at 
the same time would be a guidline.

But I can accept, that the solution for a program like that is future dream. 
Because it is verry complicated.

Nevertheless we should discuss it and think it over. 

Philipp Walderdorff