Status quo and future prospects of the total hospital information system of a Japanese medical college.

Six years have passed since the total hospital information system of Miyazaki Medical College, nicknamed PHOENIX, began its functions for the first time. It started with order entry systems, and has accomplished various systems, leaving one entry system unfinished; the injection order entry system which will be completed in the near future. It was revealed that the waiting period was most reduced at the hospital pharmacy. The waiting period for the visitors was also reduced. Usefulness of the PHOENIX system was greatly advanced by the function of a unique system of personal computer LAN, nicknamed PALM. This personal computer environments consisted of 200 or more Apple Macintosh computers. In this PALM environment, file servers, CD-ROM MEDLINE, clinical information databases, electronic mails (available in LAN and Internet) and sharing of printers are on service 24 hr a day.