[Management software for reports of digestive endoscopies: an 8-month experience with 3500 tests]

A program using a 5 M-byte hard disk microcomputer system has been used routinely for eight months in our digestive endoscopy center, both to prepare medical reports and to store patient data. This program has been written by computer engineers in close collaboration with members of our medical staff. Using the program does not need any special training. The system is based on three main files: a) a text file contains text fragments of variable length (max. 300 characters), identified by a three character alpha-numeric code. These phrases, always the same, allow to standardize the reports; however, new formulations may be added at any time; b) a patient file stores medical data concerning the patients (max. 20,000 patients) in coded form. This file allows statistical studies and multifactorial sorting; c) a physician file stores the references of the correspondents (max. 1,000 physicians). Three main functions are available: a) report construction, b) statistical studies, c) fast edition of complete reports (available for the 45 last reports). Using this program should allow substantial savings by assuring a complete independence of report writing, which is done by the endoscopist himself. By establishing a thesaurus of keywords and keyphrases in digestive endoscopy, the method should facilitate multicenter studies.