Whitman Hospital and Medical Center, is a small public hospital in Eastern Washington State. It serves as an acute care hospital and medical service center for several small communities and rural farm families throughout its 1,200 square mile Hospital District. Whitman Hospital and Medical Center has always tried to meet the health care needs in its region; however, with the fast pace of newly discovered treatments, procedures, etc., rural hospitals are often a few steps behind modern medicine. There is a great need for quick and easy access to current medical information because they are nearly 70 miles away from a large medical library. The objectives of the """"""""Information Access for Rural Health Care"""""""" project are: 1. Provide a means by which health care professionals can quickly access current information on medical diagnosis and treatments through the use of a computer link with the National Library of Medicine data base. 2. Medical staff will receive training and ongoing support in on-line searches and document request. 3. Medical staff will have easy access to a computer linked to the National Library of Medicine, which encourages continuing education and research. 4. Improved and expanded service to rural and community residents. 5. Reduce the risk involved with uncommon and unusual health care situations. This proposal includes appropriate telecommunication equipment for carrying out on-line searches, document delivery by facsimile machine, and follow-up consultation. The service will benefit the physicians, nurses, and allied health practitioners in the community.
