ABSTRACT
The AHP input to patient care is wide-ranging and complex and differs from other services and, therefore, AHP managers must be involved in contributing their specific expertise, managerial and clinical requirements, and management and business needs. In order to be able to achieve all this-to be able to show what the people are doing and how much of it, how effective and efficient it is, and what it all costs-AHPs need powerful computerised information systems capable of bringing together managerial and clinical information. IM&T is crucial in an ever-increasing business-minded NHS in which the clinical requirements for data and information systems support are paramount. When considering which computerised systems might be suitable for AHP services or contributing to development and specification the principles that they set out below form a useful checklist. .
