摘要:The importance of hospital information systems (HIS) is unquestionable: they are an integral tool in facilitating the management of a hospital's medical and administrative information, thereby improving the quality of health care. Drs. Van de Velde and Degoulet's book, Clinical Information Systems: A Component-Based Approach, will detail the many components involved in the implementation of HIS. The book will feature several case studies from North America and Europe that serve to illustrate these components. The book will detail the extension of HIS to multi-site environments, which are implemented in an effort to better serve the public. Such extended networks are called community health information systems (CHIS) or networks (CHIN). Clinical information systems (CIS) is used in the direct management of the patient, and this book focuses on the implementation of an integrated and comprehensive CIS. Designed for use by all healthcare professionals, the book's chapter highlights include: Introduction: The Evolution of Health Information Systems; Frameworks: A Collection of Business Objects; The Patient Component; The Medical Record Component; The Knowledge Component; The Resource Management Component; The Security Component; and Imaging Management and Integration. The addition of case studies illustrates the role of these components, and a Glossary provides invaluable definitions for the reader's easy reference.