Robert Upshall wrote (in a very interesting posting):

> I think that in the phrase *information technology* the adjective should
> be dominant. If the information the technology handles is not interesting,
> of sound quality and germane then the technology is futile. I think the
> job of most of us is to ensure that the information is first rate and to
> leave the technology to those who find it interesting whilst knowing
> enough of what they're talking about to be able to ask the occasional
> intelligent question.
> 
Couldn't agree more!  The information (and the management and 
use of it) is what's important, not the boxes.  Unfortunately, national 
strategy until recently has been concentrating on the tech side of 
things, but those of you who have read 'Information for Health' will 
I'm sure have spotted the announcement of a national IM&T 
education and training strategy to be devised by March 1999.  This 
is great news - it's a waste of money and time to buy expensive and 
complex hardware and software if the users at the couch-face don't 
have a clue what to do with it - or why.

>ever before. When cars and radios were first introduced they were so
> unreliable and difficult to use you had to understand them in some detail
> so that you could get them working and fix them when they went wrong. 

Another analogy is with the introduction of the telephone.  It took 
something like 40 years for it to be available in even 50% of homes - 
there is a cycle to be gone through with the introduction of any new 
way of doing things, and desktop computers are just about in late 
adolescence, so probably past most of the teenage trauma, but just 
getting into seriously interesting areas!

Sheila

PS  Interesting how some of us women are picking up on the 
challenge - since the remark [can't remember by whom!] about 
women being 'excluded' from the gp-uk list, there have been 
postings from (AFAIR) Katie, Grace, Fleur, Anita, and now me 
(Maresah, where are you?).  I don't feel in the least bit excluded, but 
I don't feel driven to post my opinion on every topic!
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Sheila Teasdale, MMedSci    Tel 0115-919 4495
Research Fellow             Fax 0115-970 9389
Collection of Health Data from General Practice
Dept of General Practice
Queens Medical Centre
University of Nottingham
NOTTINGHAM NG7 2UH
email [log in to unmask]
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