The Clinician and the Computer-Affair, Marriage, or Divorce?
MERVIN ROSENBERG M.D.1, and
R. PETER ERICSON 2
1 Medical coordinator, Constitution Plaza, Inc., an affiliate of Travelers Corporation, Hartford, Conn.
2 Director of hospital automation, Institute of Living, Hartford, Conn.
Comparing their experience in helping design and develop computer techniques in a psychiatric hospital to interpersonal relationships, the authors describe some of the potential difficulties encountered by persons inundated by the promises of the computer era. They feel that there is still much to be learned regarding the usefulness of computers in medicine. While a certain tolerance for unexpected and undesirable results is currently justified, they feel that this tolerance should not be a defense against proper planning.
