About SCATA
SCATA, first named the Computing In Anaesthesia Society, was founded in 1987 by Alastair Lack, Gavin Kenny, Mike Fisher and Malvena Stuart-Taylor. It has gradually expanded to a membership of over 300, and is open to clinical and non-clinical members. Trainees of all sorts are encouraged.
To achieve some of these aims there is a 3 day scientific meeting in early November and a one day meeting in May. The main meeting consist of lectures from invited experts, presentations by members, trainees prize papers, demonstrations of equipment, workshops, trade exhibitions, working group meetings, and much informal networking. There is also a cracking conference dinner!
SCATA has become well known for the development of the computerised trainee logbook and has been associated with the development of computerised Propofol infusions. It has also been instrumental in developing agreed clinical terms for use in anaesthetic information systems at a national level, setting up critical incident reporting systems and the presentation and development of automated anaesthetic record keeping systems.
Other areas reviewed in depth at SCATA meetings include depth of anaesthesia monitoring, body simulator training systems, computer based training methods, decision support techniques (such as using fuzzy logic), sophisticated data analysis techniques (such as neural networks) and new technologies for anaesthesia practice (such as robot assisted surgery and infra red guided cannulation).
More recently the focus has moved towards embracing networking technologies and distributed computing. The opportunities offered to by the internet are enormous but need harnessing to be available to clinicians without specialist knowledge. Improved communications mean that it is now becoming possible to include patient information derived during anaesthesia within the context of the whole Electronic Patient Record.
SCATA also has a role in guiding and educating clinicians about all information related issues, but including system security, confidentiality and making the best use of clinical databases. Its members have instigated and run 2 health information courses and more are planned.
In summary SCATA has a major role to play not only in developing and researching new technologies, but also in disseminating knowledge informally and by educational courses. It welcomes new members from all clinical disciplines, especially trainees, and also from commercial suppliers. The specialist society reports give a further understanding of its continuing work.
Roger Tackley
SCATA Chairman
2002-2004
SCATA Constitution
Download the SCATA Constitution in PDF or Word format
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