The professional workstation as enabler: conference recommendations

This paper reports on the Working Conference on Healthcare Professional Workstation sponsored by the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) and held in Washington DC, 14-16 June 1993. It sets forth the vision of a health care infostructure in which the workstation acts as enabler, giving professionals access to information when, where, and how it is needed. The paper explains upon the conference methodology and provides the conference cochairs' summary recommendations, both short- and long-term. These recommendations are based upon the work of five breakout groups, which addressed Functional Requirements, User Interfaces, Data and Knowledge Management, Processing, and Sharing and Communications. Presented in detailed and display formats, these summary recommendations address issues in the areas of architecture, linkages, evaluation, security, standards, education, and training. The paper also sets forth immediate next steps for the workstation initiative, including the formation of a formal IMIA Working Group on Workstations.