Dr. J. D. Wallace, CMA secretary general
Electronic fact and fiction We live in
exciting electronic age; care for a patient. The initial American experience, the complexities play an increasingly im¬ natural conservatism of conscientious portant accompaniment to mankind's physicians and extraneous experiences solo. They facilitate tasks ranging from with business computers have probably piloting simple accounting procedures all contributed to our reluctance in to piloting automated space capsules to Canada to venture a few million dollars the far reaches of our solar system. on demonstration projects in the medi¬ Sometimes we are aware of their pres¬ cal application. of computers. This is ence: those neatly printed personalized true, too, of projects for which the letters which offer fabulous prizes for technology and expertise have already just sticking the "Yes" stamp in the been proved. The systems are poten¬ proper square to obtain a record al- tially available today, and, if properly bum or book on a 15-day trial remind applied, they could improve quality of us. At other times we may not be patient care, particularly in rural and aware of the work they are doing on remote areas, at a reasonable cost. our behalf as we soar smoothly across the continent on a jumbo jet. Granted, they have replaced some of us; as one Financial package views the production lines in some Experiences with commercial pack¬ large modern industrial plant he may wonder.where all the people went. So age programs probably have overly af¬ fected the thought processes of physi¬ be it. A survey of the health field, the cians. When physicians are encouraged medical portion in particular, indicates to get into medical applications of these that we have lagged behind business devices, their mental computers kick and industry in the use of computers. out countless examples of computer When the big hardware started show¬ foul-ups. Just recently, for example, ing up on the market, some American the electronic monster of the company hospitals went for it hook, line and that handles the CMA secretariat paysinker hoping that the machine could roll issued a 2-week salary cheque for $391 000.00. I would have been off to practically take over their operations including at least some of the medical Mexico or somewhere like a flash with such a bonanza but our librarian, who care. Only after the useless expenditure of many millions of dollars was the knows we appreciate her work, felt delusion unmasked. That failure proved this may overestimate our appreciation, the electronic fact that machines can even for a top notch employee. The neither think nor apply human judge¬ explanation: perhaps a bit of dust ment. For simple tasks, of course, pro- somewhere in the works. You may grammed parameters can trigger an yourself have had a bad experience automatic reaction. They can only put with the computer of your favourite oil out what man has put into them, and company. Even though the machine's laborious, expert programming ensures human master has written you telling they can do that very quickly and ef- you to ignore the stupid thing, you ficiently. The human thought that goes may continue to receive the computer's into the programming is the vital nasty, threatening letters about overdue element. The most oft repeated com¬ accounts. ment heard in the computer age is The truth is that, in the scientific "garbage in, garbage out", and nobody field, there is now equipment that can wants an electronic garbage can to precisely monitor the vital signs, blood an
computers of many sizes, shapes and
.
880 CMA
JOURNAL/APRIL 5, 1975/VOL. 112
chemistry guideposts
and other of a human
physiological
being whether
an Apollo en route to the in the intensive care unit of your hospital. There are also relatively inexpensive small package units that have proved themselves to be capable of doing a number of other tasks to assist health professionals in providing better and safer care to their patients. This technology can have a consider¬ able effect on the health care and so¬ cial development in our communities in the future, and this is an aspect of modern electronics that we hope soon to apply in a practical way. No longer would a young physician with a yen for suburban or rural practice need to have that sinking feeling of isolation when he needs expert backup in a cardiovascular emergency. It could be available almost instantaneously through equipment and programs if we had the will and the money to install them. No longer would workers and their families, considering a move out of congested urban areas, need worry that health care might not be as expert "out there". An electronic assist can supply the expertise. So the electronic fact is that we can now move many of the preventive, diagnostic and treatment resources of the big city medical centre out into the small community hospitals and doctors' offices in rural and remote areas if we choose to do so. The fiction is that computers on their own can treat patients, run hospitals or replace well trained human beings in the provision of health care to the public. The fact: they can, if given an opportunity, pro¬ vide us with information backup that would enable all of us to do a better job with a lesser expenditure of time and effort than is required at present in our jobs. Their memories are better than are ours. Let's give them an op¬ portunity to help us at least that's the way I see it.B
he is in
moon or
.
Electronic fact and fiction We live in
exciting electronic age; care for a patient. The initial American experience, the complexities play an increasingly im¬ natural conservatism of conscientious portant accompaniment to mankind's physicians and extraneous experiences solo. They facilitate tasks ranging from with business computers have probably piloting simple accounting procedures all contributed to our reluctance in to piloting automated space capsules to Canada to venture a few million dollars the far reaches of our solar system. on demonstration projects in the medi¬ Sometimes we are aware of their pres¬ cal application. of computers. This is ence: those neatly printed personalized true, too, of projects for which the letters which offer fabulous prizes for technology and expertise have already just sticking the "Yes" stamp in the been proved. The systems are poten¬ proper square to obtain a record al- tially available today, and, if properly bum or book on a 15-day trial remind applied, they could improve quality of us. At other times we may not be patient care, particularly in rural and aware of the work they are doing on remote areas, at a reasonable cost. our behalf as we soar smoothly across the continent on a jumbo jet. Granted, they have replaced some of us; as one Financial package views the production lines in some Experiences with commercial pack¬ large modern industrial plant he may wonder.where all the people went. So age programs probably have overly af¬ fected the thought processes of physi¬ be it. A survey of the health field, the cians. When physicians are encouraged medical portion in particular, indicates to get into medical applications of these that we have lagged behind business devices, their mental computers kick and industry in the use of computers. out countless examples of computer When the big hardware started show¬ foul-ups. Just recently, for example, ing up on the market, some American the electronic monster of the company hospitals went for it hook, line and that handles the CMA secretariat paysinker hoping that the machine could roll issued a 2-week salary cheque for $391 000.00. I would have been off to practically take over their operations including at least some of the medical Mexico or somewhere like a flash with such a bonanza but our librarian, who care. Only after the useless expenditure of many millions of dollars was the knows we appreciate her work, felt delusion unmasked. That failure proved this may overestimate our appreciation, the electronic fact that machines can even for a top notch employee. The neither think nor apply human judge¬ explanation: perhaps a bit of dust ment. For simple tasks, of course, pro- somewhere in the works. You may grammed parameters can trigger an yourself have had a bad experience automatic reaction. They can only put with the computer of your favourite oil out what man has put into them, and company. Even though the machine's laborious, expert programming ensures human master has written you telling they can do that very quickly and ef- you to ignore the stupid thing, you ficiently. The human thought that goes may continue to receive the computer's into the programming is the vital nasty, threatening letters about overdue element. The most oft repeated com¬ accounts. ment heard in the computer age is The truth is that, in the scientific "garbage in, garbage out", and nobody field, there is now equipment that can wants an electronic garbage can to precisely monitor the vital signs, blood an
computers of many sizes, shapes and
.
880 CMA
JOURNAL/APRIL 5, 1975/VOL. 112
chemistry guideposts
and other of a human
physiological
being whether
an Apollo en route to the in the intensive care unit of your hospital. There are also relatively inexpensive small package units that have proved themselves to be capable of doing a number of other tasks to assist health professionals in providing better and safer care to their patients. This technology can have a consider¬ able effect on the health care and so¬ cial development in our communities in the future, and this is an aspect of modern electronics that we hope soon to apply in a practical way. No longer would a young physician with a yen for suburban or rural practice need to have that sinking feeling of isolation when he needs expert backup in a cardiovascular emergency. It could be available almost instantaneously through equipment and programs if we had the will and the money to install them. No longer would workers and their families, considering a move out of congested urban areas, need worry that health care might not be as expert "out there". An electronic assist can supply the expertise. So the electronic fact is that we can now move many of the preventive, diagnostic and treatment resources of the big city medical centre out into the small community hospitals and doctors' offices in rural and remote areas if we choose to do so. The fiction is that computers on their own can treat patients, run hospitals or replace well trained human beings in the provision of health care to the public. The fact: they can, if given an opportunity, pro¬ vide us with information backup that would enable all of us to do a better job with a lesser expenditure of time and effort than is required at present in our jobs. Their memories are better than are ours. Let's give them an op¬ portunity to help us at least that's the way I see it.B
he is in
moon or
.
