Technology looking over your shoulder

There is a fine line between supporting the decisions of doctors and questioning them.

Are hospital medical systems starting to cross the line?

The LMS Medical CALM system is a case in point. It collects and collates obstetric data from patients in maternity wards, then shares this data throughout a hospital, and it includes an expert system aimed at preventing bad outcomes.

MeKesson has installed the LMS system in a Pennsylvania hospital, and may roll it out to other clients. The phrase "expert system" is never used in any of the releases by the LMS PR folk, the Howard Group, which released this on its blog.

But isn't that what we're talking about here? Collect all the data, combine it with experience, distribute it widely, and add insight based on the data?

If expert systems are questioning your calls, are you going to be upset or grateful?

I'm not against any of this mind you but I wonder if there are some doctors out there who are.