A microcomputer-based vital records data base with interactive graphic assessment for states and localities

Area of Science:

• Biostatistics
• Public Health Informatics
• Database Management

Background:

• Vital records databases are valuable for population studies but are often too large and complex for easy use.
• Existing data organization and size can limit or discourage the utilization of vital records for research and public health initiatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a microcomputer-based database system for vital records.
• To significantly reduce data storage requirements and improve data retrieval speed.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of using optimized databases for public health surveillance and rapid reporting.

Main Methods:

• Constructed a microcomputer database of singleton births in Massachusetts (1975-1984).
• Reduced data size by removing redundancy, unique identifiers, and data packing, achieving a 16-byte record.
• Developed specialized programs for efficient data access and analysis on PC-AT systems.

Main Results:

• Achieved over 90% disk space savings, reducing a 120 MB database to 11.1 MB.
• Enabled display of a birth weight frequency plot for the entire dataset in under 65 seconds.
• Demonstrated significantly faster processing times compared to SAS-PC and mainframe SAS.

Conclusions:

• Microcomputer-based, optimized vital records databases offer efficient access to large population datasets.
• This approach facilitates timely public health reporting, surveillance, and rapid response to health inquiries.
• The methodology can be applied to other state registries (deaths, cancers, birth defects) to enhance public health capabilities.