Clinical protocols: the next automation frontier. Computerized records will play a key role in the implementation of clinical guidelines.

Interest in creating clinical protocols has surged in recent years, and experts say computer-based patient records represent the most practical way to put these guidelines to use. Economic forces, particularly the growth of managed care, will push clinicians to identify the most cost-effective ways to deliver care. Electronic records will serve as a useful source of information on which to base and refine guidelines.