HMO databases: fertile ground for epidemiological research

The computerized databases maintained by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) are a rich new source for health research. The authors describe the process by which health-related research became sanctioned at Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque, N.M., and its affiliated HMO. They review research conducted with several other HMO databases and suggest numerous possibilities for studying the incidence, distribution and control of disease using the vast data collected in managed care database systems.