Information Technology in Anesthesiology

In the 1950s and 60s digital computers, in the form of mainframe systems, first made their way out of government laboratories and into the corporate world. They soon found their way into hospitals, generally as accounting tools. Over time, computer technology was offered as a solution to many real and perceived problems in the hospital, including medical record keeping, patient data analysis, and materials management to name just a few. In spite of the expenditure of significant resources, both monetary and personnel, few real clinical solutions were successfully introduced. This was disappointing to both investors and computer advocates. The reasons for these failures are many, but were often based on the fact that the proposed clinical solutions were more complex and demanding than was technically or fiscally feasible. Often the solution was far more expensive than the problem it was meant to solve. The last decade has seen truly dramatic changes in computing. Desktop and server hardware are remarkably powerful. Advances in network technology allow for the integration of thousands of machines. Storage solutions make it possible to store and retrieve information stored on hundreds of gigabytes. The Internet has demonstrated that large amounts of information can be transmitted and displayed in new and creative ways. Finally, and most importantly, advances in computer science, particularly programming tools and computational theory now allow for the introduction of clinically important computing technology in the medical environment. The Operating Suite