A computer-based obstetric data retrieval system

A computer-based obstetric patient data retrieval system is described which permits physicians with no prior computer knowledge or experience to access a patient data base. The advantages are minimal physician instruction, opportunity to examine maternal and neonatal outcome of defined diagnostic or therapeutic subsets of the data base, and rapid recall of individual patients' data, without need for continuous assistance from computer specialists. Disadvantages are the costs and our inability to interface our medical information with hospital business office data. Two brief examples of use of the system are provided.