Practical use of a free-text computer system in pathology

Free-text is a natural and effective means of communication of clinically valuable information in subjects such as morbid anatomy. Due to recent developments in hardware and software, it is becoming possible for a greater number of pathologists and others to consider the computer as a possible means of storing, retrieving and analysing findings which have been expressed in words. This paper describes some experiments which have been carried out in this area; these suggest that computer-held free-text can yield useful and hitherto unavailable information, but that coded input may be required for some applications.