Prototype Packaged Databases and Software in Health

This paper describes the recent demand for packaged databases and software for health applications in light of developments in mini-and micro-computer technology. Specific features for defining prospective user groups are discussed; criticisms generated for large-scale epidemiological data use as a means of replacing clinical trials and associated controls are posed to the reader. The available collaborative efforts for access and analysis of jointly structured health data are stressed, with recommendations for new analytical techniques specifically geared to monitoring data such as the CTSS (Cumulative Transitional State Score) generated for tacking ongoing patient status over time in clinical trials. Examples of graphic display are given from the Domestic Information Display System (DIDS) which is a collaborative multi-agency effort to computerize and make accessible user-specified U.S. and local maps relating to health, environment, socio-economic and energy data.