The computer in the consultation.

The majority of computer software suitable for family practice has concentrated on the business realities of private medical care at the expense of the more exciting patient care applications. This paper has briefly outlined one development in this area. The authors think that the computer is a not too-distant consulting room too, capable of improving patient care. The hardware-software systems will need to provide high-speed response, multitasking, including interrupt ability, and a range of imaginative modules integrated with a flexible and transportable medical record.