ABSTRACT
Given that there are limits to resources in healthcare, just because something is possible, itmay not be desirable, or indeed affordable. This certainly is the case with information technologies, and the last few decades are littered with examples of healthcare information systems that were ill considered in their design, or in the resources they consumed. Equally, there are many examples of well-conceived projects that have delivered considerable benefit. The difference between success and failure often comes down to the approach taken by the creators of a system.
