Application development system: The software architecture of the IBM Health Care Support/DL/I-Patient Care System
David J. Mishelevich, Donald Van Slyke · IBM Systems Journal · 1980
By presenting an architectural overview of PCS, this paper has demonstrated how application development system criteria are met. Such criteria included (1) data independence, (2) logic independence, (3) ease of logic implementation (in PCS via the screen coding and that data collection list mechanism), (4) ease of CRT screen design and coding, (5) ease of printer format design and coding, (6) applicaiton and architecture extensibility (the edit and the Data Manager are examples of architectural extensions), (7) ability of user personnel (not data processing personnel) to perform criteria 3, 4, and 5, and (8) a human-engineered, user-friendly, production system (actually demonstrated by routine, daily use). An important sidelight is that there are commercially available packages that are PCS-based and allow transfer of technology to immediately enahnce productivity of the receiving groups. An example is the Patient Care System-Radiology Installed User Program developed at the Dalls County Hospital District. The application of these concepts has been successful, and again it must be stressed that they are not tied to a given application and thus are “industry-independent.”