[Obstetric-perinatologic data collection using a personal computer]

A concept covering the collecting and processing of obstetrical and perinatological data is described. Collecting of patient data is effected on the basis of a case history that has been drawn up in an EDP-adequate manner, which, however, can also be used in the conventional way. This procedure was chosen because for some time to come one cannot do without a document for handwritten notes to avoid duplication of work by "double tracking" and to eliminate transmission errors, and also to continue the present procedure of dealing with the patient. A commercial data base system was chosen for data collection and storage (dBase III by Ashton Tate). This relational data base has its own programming language with very powerful macro calls. Data input is effected by means of programme masks which the user can solicit via menu monitoring. The requisite hardware configuration consists of a computer with a main storage comprising 640 KB, system MS-DOS, and a hard disk of at least 20 MB. This data collection system operates in an obstetric hospital with annually more than 1,600 births and more than 1,200 entries during early pregnancy, to the satisfaction of the users. Besides compiling the usual statistical analyses and formulating research problems, the system automatically prepares the discharge reports. This rationalisation procedure compels the user to collect the data with care and also completely. On the whole, such a data collection system offers to hospitals of any size quick and easy access to data at any time, as well as optimised patient care, without additional effort and at a reasonable cost level.