Summary The electrical engineer will be only one of many professionals involved in the implementation of a hospital information system. Successful participation in this team will depend on more than the electrical engineering skills that are applicable to any information system project. The critical success factor is an understanding of the hospital-the people(clinicians and administrators), their objectives(low cost and high quality), and the environment within which they work Defining Terms HL7: A data communications protocol for interfacing components of a hospital information system. JCAHO: The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, an organization that promul ates sta NEC: The National Electrical Code, an NFPA standard that is commonly adopted by governmental units and, therefore, having the force of law NFPA: The National Fire Protection Association, an organization that promulgates standards affecting elec trical systems in hospitals. Related Topics 94.1 Databases. 117.1 Clinical Information Systems References C J. Austin, Information Systems for Health Services Administration, 3rd ed, Ann Arbor, Mich. Health Admin istration Press, 1988 V Bond, J Lenahan, and W. Wagner, " HL7: A practical perspective, Healthcare Informatics, vol. 7, no. 10, P. 46, A J. Goldberg and R.A. Buttaro, Eds, Hospital Departmental Profiles, 3rd ed. Chicago: American Hospital Publishing, 1990 JCAHO, Accreditation Manual for Hospitals, 1993 ed, Chicago: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 1993. B.R. Klein, Ed, Health Care Facilities Handbook, 3rd ed, Quincy, Mass. National Fire Protection Association B Minard, Health Care Computer Systems for the 1990s, Ann Arbor, Mich. Health Administration Press, 1991 J M. Walker, Integrating information systems with HL7, Hospitals, vol. 63, no. 13, P. FB60, 1989. S ]. Williams and P.R. Torrens, Introduction to Health Services, 2nd ed, New York: John Wiley Sons, 1984 Further information Many of the major professional societies dealing with computer science and engineering have healthcare-related divisions. Further information can be obtained from each professional society. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society is a division of the American Hospital Association that deals with information systems, telecommunications, and management engineering. For fur- ther information contact the American Hospital Association, Chicago, Illinois. Major periodicals that focus on hospital information systems include National Report on Computers an Health and Healthcare Informatics. These publications, and other healthcare-related literature, can be found the libraries of academic medical centers e 2000 by CRC Press LLC© 2000 by CRC Press LLC Summary The electrical engineer will be only one of many professionals involved in the implementation of a hospital information system. Successful participation in this team will depend on more than the electrical engineering skills that are applicable to any information system project. The critical success factor is an understanding of the hospital—the people (clinicians and administrators), their objectives (low cost and high quality), and the environment within which they work. Defining Terms HL7: A data communications protocol for interfacing components of a hospital information system. JCAHO: The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, an organization that promul￾gates standards affecting hospital operations. NEC: The National Electrical Code, an NFPA standard that is commonly adopted by governmental units and, therefore, having the force of law. NFPA: The National Fire Protection Association, an organization that promulgates standards affecting elec￾trical systems in hospitals. Related Topics 94.1 Databases • 117.1 Clinical Information Systems References C.J. Austin, Information Systems for Health Services Administration, 3rd ed., Ann Arbor, Mich.: Health Admin￾istration Press, 1988. V. Bond, J. Lenahan, and W. Wagner, “HL7: A practical perspective,” Healthcare Informatics, vol. 7, no. 10, p.46, 1990. A.J. Goldberg and R.A. Buttaro, Eds., Hospital Departmental Profiles, 3rd ed., Chicago: American Hospital Publishing, 1990. JCAHO, Accreditation Manual for Hospitals, 1993 ed., Chicago: Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, 1993. B.R. Klein, Ed., Health Care Facilities Handbook, 3rd ed., Quincy, Mass.: National Fire Protection Association, 1990. B. Minard, Health Care Computer Systems for the 1990s, Ann Arbor, Mich.: Health Administration Press, 1991. J.M. Walker, “Integrating information systems with HL7,” Hospitals, vol. 63, no. 13, p. FB60, 1989. S.J. Williams and P.R. Torrens, Introduction to Health Services, 2nd ed., New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1984. Further Information Many of the major professional societies dealing with computer science and engineering have healthcare–related divisions. Further information can be obtained from each professional society. The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society is a division of the American Hospital Association that deals with information systems, telecommunications, and management engineering. For fur￾ther information contact the American Hospital Association, Chicago, Illinois. Major periodicals that focus on hospital information systems include National Report on Computers and Health and Healthcare Informatics. These publications, and other healthcare-related literature, can be found in the libraries of academic medical centers