Enterprise-wide automation in integrated health care delivery systems--has it finally turned the corner?

During the past decade, the healthcare industry has seen a marked expansion of networked delivery. The norm is no longer a stand-alone hospital, but an "Integrated Healthcare Delivery System," in which a healthcare provider may offer services from acute care, ambulatory, longterm and home health care. Along with the IHDS comes the need to integrate the vast amount of information necessary to operate the network and service the patients. This article looks at the findings of a survey of IHDS information usage and needs.