Perspective: Autonomic care systems for hospitalized patients

Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
Pascal J Goldschmidt-ClermontDavid A Lubarsky

Abstract

With advancements of medical technology and improved diagnostic and treatment options, children with severe birth defects who would otherwise have no chance of surviving post birth survive to go home every day. The average lifespan in the United States has increased substantially over the last century. These successes and many other medical breakthroughs in managing complex illnesses, particularly in frail, elderly patients, have resulted in an increasing percentage of patients with comorbidities. This, coupled with a policy change by Medicare (i.e., Medicare will no longer reimburse hospitals for costs associated with treating preventable errors and injuries that a patient acquires while in the hospital), creates an enormous challenge to health care providers. To meet the challenge, the authors propose a new model of health care--the autonomic care system (ACS)--a concept derived from the intensive care unit and the autonomic computing initiative in the computer industry. Using wound care as an example, the authors examine the necessity, feasibility, design, and challenges related to ACS. Specifically, they discuss the role of the human operator, the potential combination of ACS and existing hospital information technology (e....Continue Reading

References

Feb 28, 2003·Journal of Health Economics·Yu-Chu Shen
May 15, 2004·BMJ : British Medical Journal·Tom Ferguson, Gilles Frydman
May 26, 2004·Public Health Reports·Gerard Anderson, Jane Horvath
Jul 16, 2008·Journal of Clinical Epidemiology·Mary E CharlsonJames P Hollenberg
Dec 4, 2008·JAMA : the Journal of the American Medical Association·Paul S ChanJohn A Spertus

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