An unconventional approach to healthcare(Geographic) information systems using a custom VB interface to AutoCAD

This article shows how to approach to complexity government in a healthcare structure, using biomedical and architectural skills together with informatics to improve healthcare management. The approach proposed in this work is different from the standard GIS approach because it tends not to separate graphical data and informative data.The developed system, called SACS, is a custom VB software that drives Autocad. It provides a mapping of every single hospital room in terms of beds, square meters, destination of use, functional area and many other details. Each room is considered as a part of a ward introducing the concept of Main Destination of Use (MDU). System reports can be used via web by the hospital top management as well as by the clinical engineer, who can assess parameters like the maintenance state of an equipment or its obsolescence, being aware of the hospital context in which this equipment has been used.