MIS-I at El Camino Hospital: Pioneering Medical Informatics (ca. 1973)

Circa 1973, this Technicon film shows MIS-I in daily use at El Camino Hospital, illustrating electronic clinical documentation and order entry. MIS-I was a pioneer in medical informatics. 

This historic film documents the Medical Information System (MIS-I), one of the earliest computerized hospital information systems, developed by Technicon Medical Information Systems Corporation and deployed at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View, California. Produced between 1971 and 1974, the film was used by Technicon as both a sales and employee training tool. 

Through the example of a patient’s hospital stay, the video demonstrates how physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory personnel interacted with MIS-I using video terminals located throughout the hospital. The system automated order entry, clinical documentation, medication management, laboratory reporting, charge capture, and patient care planning, reducing paperwork while improving communication, accuracy, and efficiency. 

At a time when most hospitals relied entirely on paper records, MIS-I represented a pioneering vision of integrated electronic healthcare information management. Many concepts illustrated in the film—including computerized physician order entry, electronic medical records, clinical decision support, and real-time access to patient information—would later become standard features of modern healthcare information systems. This copy was obtained in 2026 from a retired member of the El Camino Health Nurses Association. 

The original production date is unknown; however, evidence indicates the film was produced after Technicon acquired the Medical Information System (MIS) business in May 1971 and was being shown to employees by late 1974. The original video and audio have been digitally preserved and enhanced for presentation, and introductory and closing title slides have been added. Apart from these preservation improvements, the content remains essentially unchanged from the original Technicon production.