Keywords

computers, dietetics practice, medical informatics, technology

 

Authors

  1. Charney, Pamela PhD, RD, CNSD

Abstract

Dietetics professionals now entering practice belong to the first generation of healthcare providers expected to interact smoothly with technology. While computers have been used in research for well more than 50 years, earlier models took up entire rooms and required almost constant maintenance. It has only been in the past 20-30 years that smaller, desktop computers became widely available, facilitating use of technology in healthcare. Currently, hand-held devices such as personal digital assistants allow providers to communicate from remote sites. Further incentive for increasing technology skills lies in recent health policy initiatives that are driving the transition to electronic health records. Dietetics professionals are experiencing rapid advances in technology leading to the need to improve technological skills to remain competitive in healthcare.