Pilot Data Bank Networks for Neurological Disorders

National pilot data bank networks for stroke and traumatic coma have recently been initiated at multiple centers by the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke. The characteristics of these pilot data bank projects include: 1) the overall development and statement of research issues by a multidisciplinary team; 2) dual emphasis on patient management and clinical research; 3) the definition and use of a uniform clinical vocabulary; 4) the use of a clinically-oriented data base management system; and 5) the use of intelligent terminals for data entry, retrieval, and patient management. This paper will describe the data bank approach used by the neurological disorders programs.