Data Entry for Multiple Center Data Banks—A Microprocessor Approach

National pilot computerized data bank networks for Stroke and Traumatic Coma were established in 1978 by The National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke to collect and maintain medical data on the clinical course and outcome of patients. Data include patient history, onset of symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment during hospitalization, as well as the outcome recorded during follow-up examinations. The purpose of the pilot studies was to evaluate the data bank's effectiveness in providing uniform data for both clinical research and patient management. This paper describes the design and operation of a front-end microprocessor software package for the data banks. The microprocessor system is an effective tool for patient management and provides independence from the host data bank to the individual hospital centers participating in the data bank projects.