NURSING RESOURCE ALLOCATION/UTILIZATION SYSTEM

THE LONG TERM OBJECTIVE OF THIS EFFORT IS TO INCREASE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF CONVENTIONAL MANAGEMENT INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES THROUGH THE INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEMS, MULTIMEDIA, OBJECT-ORIENTED SYSTEMS, AND HYPERTEXT. THE CHANGING HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENT NECESSITATES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM THAT WILL ASSIST THE HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATOR IN MANAGING CRITICAL ORGANIZATIONAL RESOURCES. THE PREVALENT USE OF DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING AMONG COST CONSCIOUS HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS, PARTICULARLYTHOSE LOCATED IN RURAL AREAS, CREATES OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF INTUITIVE, PC-BASED SOFTWARE SYSTEMS THAT PROMOTE APPLICATION INTEROPERABILITY. HYPERTEXT AND OBJECT-ORIENTED PROGRAMMING TOOLS PROVIDE A VIABLE MEANS FORCREATING SOPHISTICATED SOFTWARE SYSTEMS THAT ARE EASY TO USEAND TO MAINTAIN. THE DEVELOPMENT OF DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS DESIGNED TO DEAL WITH THE COMPLEXITY OF THE HEALTH CARE ENVIRONMENT ALSO REQUIRES THE EXTENSION OF KNOWLEDGE-BASED SYSTEMS FROM TRADITIONAL AREAS SUCH AS DIAGNOSIS DIRECTLY INTO ADMINISTRATION. DEPENDING ON THE PREVAILING ENVIRONMENTAL ELEMENTS, COMPANION INFORMATION SYSTEMS COMMUNICATING WITH THE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM MAY REQUIRE THE INCORPORATION OF MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGIES TO SIMPLIFY THE MANIPULATION OF RICH CONTENTS OF INFORMATION. THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THE PHASE I EFFORT ARE TO ANALYZE THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE THAT IS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF TWO NURSING ADMINISTRATORS, TO ANALYZE THE FLOW AND STRUCTURE OF INFORMATION THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATORS' ORGANIZATIONS, TO BUILD A NURSING RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND UTILIZATION SYSTEM, AND TO EVALUATE THE SYSTEM'S EFFECTIVENESS.