ABSTRACT
Medicine, as a science, involves a complex and a sophisticated network of real-time communication systems,wheresafetyandsecurityissuesareprimaryconcerns.Aggregatinginformationfrommultiplesourcesisessentialtomaximizeresourceusage,formulateaccuratediagnosis,provideadequate treatment,de¦nemanagementplans,andgrantcriticalclinicalmonitoring.¥eavailabilityofonline electronicmedicalandhealthrecordspromotesthecoordinationofcareandtheintegrationofclinical information(e.g.,laboratoryandimagingresults).Toharnesstheaforementionedbene¦ts,subsystems mustbeinteroperable,®exible(e.g.,allowthecustomizationofscheduling,tracking,andalertmodules), andabletocopewiththestandardsofcare-security,safety,timeliness,e§ciency,eªectiveness,equity, and patient-centered care.
