Intensive care data--I: Computer controlled analysis

A flexible, simple computer-controlled system for analysis of administrative and clinical data in intensive care is described. The system uses an interactive data input programme to facilitate data entry, an editor to correct errors, and the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for data selection, retrieval and analysis. The system has the following features: data input is simple; large amounts of data can be handled rapidly and accurately; old data is readily available for comparison with new data and can be included in the present analysis; available statistical packages remove the need for a programmer; complex analyses are possible. The system has been successfully used for two years to provide administrative and clinical data which is pertinent to patient care.