Microcomputer patient database management system for an MRI facility.

Abstract

A management system for a magnetic resonance imaging facility was developed to store pertinent patient data and to maintain a teaching file. The system was developed on a Digital PRO-350 microcomputer using a commercially available database software package. The cost of the system was about $7000. The patient data are entered at a terminal by a clerk typist. Input data are condensed or abbreviated to accommodate the limited data storage on the microcomputer. Cases can be rapidly retrieved and sorted on the basis of any of the 42 data fields available or any combination of these fields. The system has been successfully used for 18 months to create directories for a teaching file, for presentations, and for clinical research. Census-type data can be compiled, and the system can be used for word processing.