BACKGROUND: The following objectives were studied in the implementation of computerization in the registration of clinical histories: gather all the information obtainable from the patient, be able to up-date the information once introduced, use of the information by health care personnel, automatic carrying out of all routine reports, elaboration of hospital indexes, follow the conventional model of clinical history as much as possible and reasonable price. METHODS: The study was carried out in a 40-bed department of internal medicine in a county hospital. A mixed system of partial coding was used combined with free texts, the latter being with no limit of space. The clinical histories were structured in 9 groups which covered from personal data to complementary explorations. A personal computer compatible "AT" was employed. The program was designed and analyzed by internal medicine doctors using CLIPPER and language "C". RESULTS: The thousand one hundred histories were opened with the space occupied in the disc being of 7 Megabytes. Following the premise of: "write all data only once", the obtaining of all type of documents, indexes and listed was automatized facilitating the knowledge of the working of the department directly. Adaptation by medical personnel was good. CONCLUSIONS: The model presented achieved the previously mentioned aims of information gathering and up-dating, use of the information by hospital personnel, automatization of routine reports and indexes, the following of conventional models and economic feasibility. Computerization should not be imposed, must not represent more work and advantages should be obtained by its use.
BACKGROUND: The following objectives were studied in the implementation of computerization in the registration of clinical histories: gather all the information obtainable from the patient, be able to up-date the information once introduced, use of the information by health care personnel, automatic carrying out of all routine reports, elaboration of hospital indexes, follow the conventional model of clinical history as much as possible and reasonable price. METHODS: The study was carried out in a 40-bed department of internal medicine in a county hospital. A mixed system of partial coding was used combined with free texts, the latter being with no limit of space. The clinical histories were structured in 9 groups which covered from personal data to complementary explorations. A personal computer compatible "AT" was employed. The program was designed and analyzed by internal medicine doctors using CLIPPER and language "C". RESULTS: The thousand one hundred histories were opened with the space occupied in the disc being of 7 Megabytes. Following the premise of: "write all data only once", the obtaining of all type of documents, indexes and listed was automatized facilitating the knowledge of the working of the department directly. Adaptation by medical personnel was good. CONCLUSIONS: The model presented achieved the previously mentioned aims of information gathering and up-dating, use of the information by hospital personnel, automatization of routine reports and indexes, the following of conventional models and economic feasibility. Computerization should not be imposed, must not represent more work and advantages should be obtained by its use.