Preface
This volume is the main end product of ATIM (Assessment of information Technology In Medicine). ATIM is an Accompanying Measure in AIM; the advanced Informatics in Medicine part of the “Telematics Systems in Areas of General Interest” programme of DG XIII of the European Union under the 3rd Framework Programme. ATIM has been carried out between April 1993 and December 1994.
Evidence for effectiveness of information technology may provide an essential impulse for its diffusion in the health care market. However, at present results of studies addressing this issue seem hardly to provide this impulse. The fact that no agreement on methods and criteria for evaluation and assessment exists is seen as a major obstacle for diffusion. Studies tend to be ad-hoc and site-specific. ATIM was established to develop consensus on methods and criteria for the evaluation and assessment of information technologies for and in health care.
For pragmatic reasons ATIM focused on two project lines within AIM: one dealing with Medical Multimedia Workstations and Images, the other with Knowledge Based and Decision Support Systems. Participants in projects in these project lines discussed methods and exchanged experiences, not only during workshops under the ATIM umbrella, but also during AIM concertation meetings. In addition, ATIM provided consultancy and has been building a literature database and a network of experts. ATIM produced four newsletters.
ATIM activities were coordinated in a joint fashion by two institutes:
BAZIS, the Central Development and Support Group Hospital Information System, Leiden, The Netherlands and
The Department of Medical Informatics of the University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands
The Department of Medical Informatics had the responsibility for the activities in the action line related to Knowledge Based Systems; BAZIS had the responsibility for the Imaging action line as well as for the overall project coordination. In this coordination the ATIM leaders were supported by the ATIM Coordinating Committee: François Grémy (Montpellier, France), David Hawkes (London, United Kingdom), Gianpolo Molino (Torino, Italy), Niilo Saranummi (Tampere, Finland) and Wilhelm Van Eimeren (Munich, Germany).
This ATIM “Handbook” provides first guidelines which may help users in assessing the effects of new and existing information technologies for health care, as well as in interpreting assessment reports. More specifically, it aims to provide support in validation processes, which will take place in the Telematics Programme of the Fourth Framework Programme. The book combines methodological background information (Part A) with practical examples from various AIM projects (Part B). The book is addressed to the (potential) users of information technology; the people who are essential for the evaluation and assessment process, but not necessarily with background in social sciences or evaluation and assessment.
We would herewith like to acknowledge the enthusiasm and dedication of all people that contributed to ATIM. In particular we would like to thank Jacques Lacombe, the project officer of AIM for ATIM, for his never lasting support and for being ATIM's “ambassador”. Moreover we are indebted to the AIM projects that actively contributed to ATIM: COVIRA, DILEMMA, ESTEEM, ElURIPACS, HELIOS, GAMES-2, ISAR, KAVAS-2, MILORD, OEDIPE, OPADE, OPENLABS, SAMMIE, TELEGASTRO and TRILOGY.
Elisabeth van Gennip, Jan Talmon (Editors) October
1994