Using intranet technology to access valuable information in a clinical environment fast and efficiently

Technology is constantly changing. If we want to build a good clinical information system we have to know that within two or three years many applications will be overrun by new methods. Reasons for this can be legislation, new medical standards, new organizational standards and many other things. If a computing center wants to provide an up-to-date support to medical and other staff, it needs to develop methods to change existing information systems within reasonable time. Using intranet technologies can help to facilitate change and bring the time needed for implementation down to a minimum. The paper describes status, plans and visions of implementing a valuable information system at the University Clinics in Munich, Germany, regarding questions about content as well as technology. The system has been operation since December 1996 and is constantly growing