Using a HyperCard Workstation to Interface with a COSTAR Database

The College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) at Mississippi State University (MSU) has implemented a Macintosh/HyperCard™ based workstation (HyperVeT) as an interface to its COSTAR™ based medical record system. The workstation supports storage and display of patient demographic and clinical encounter medical information. It's sophisticated, graphics-oriented user interface is designed to encourage clinician entry of codified data elements selected from logically organized directories of standard medical nomenclature. Communication with the DEC Vax™ resident COSTAR system is accomplished in the background and is transparent to the user. Methods and strategies for developing this workstation are discussed in light of the academic and clinical environment of the MSU CVM.