"1 Healthcare Systems Introduction Fr ank M. Groom , Ph.D. As the population ages, the economy struggles, and healthcare costs soar, the focus of the nation and the H ealthcare Industry is on determining the means to reduce costs and make the delivery process more effective. Systems experts are like carpenters in their view of these problems. T o a carpenter, every information problem appears solvable with nails and a hammer (or screws and screwdriver, or at least a little carpenter's hide or wood glue). T o information technology people, solutions frequently involve collecting data into a repository and then making it searchable, understandable, and relatable. In this book we approach the healthcare industry and its problems from an Information Systems prospective and attempt to determine how to create a helpful and holistic Medical R ecords System as a core component to be employed in addressing a wide range of healthcare issues. A basic principle we flow is that data should be captured only once, stored in a repository, and then made available throughout the medical system for all medical purposes. Contents Central Data Repositories 3 Data Information Entry, V erification, and Correction 5 Regional Sharing of Information 5 Data Privacy and Protection 6 Open Systems 6 Compliance 7 Conclusion 8 Areas Covered by This Book 8 References 8"--