Vision Statement

• Information technology must be viewed from an ecological perspective. Information systems do not stand alone; they effect and are affected by the operational environment. Understanding how information technology "fits" into the larger context is the key to its effective use.
• It is not enough to merely automate a process. Automation without process redesign often leads to a negative outcome. Technology should be applied to transform systems and solve problems. In the words of Joseph Izzo, "The enlightened user understands that computer technology is a vehicle for creating change."
• Economies of scale, multiple use, and reuse should be design goals whenever possible. End users, such as students or physicians, should always be part of the design process. Ongoing feedback from users is essential for quality improvement.
• The primary focus of medical education should be patient care - not technology. There is no need to devote large amounts of curricular time to study computers per se. Students will become "literate" by using computers to perform tasks related to their course of study.
• "Computers should be used to enhance, not replace, the teacher and supplement, not supplant, traditional teaching methods." - Andy Reinhardt
• Patient care, not financial services, should drive the design of clinical systems. These systems should provide the clinician with a simple, unified view of patient data from various sources. Data should be collected as close to its source as possible. Data quality is directly related to its use for patient care.