Databases for clinical psychiatry

Clinical information systems support patient care and research while providing data for administrative use. We assessed the informational needs of the psychiatrists at UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital and used the resulting criteria in evaluating commercial computer products. The systems that appear to be least expensive, most powerful, and most suitable for widespread use are assembled from various off-the-shelf packages. These newer systems use a structured query language (SQL) database with a graphic user interface. An SQL database can support both large and small clinical operations, and a graphic interface is easy to use. Commercial software systems are too expensive for a small psychiatric hospital or department, but a customized SQL database can be purchased and installed at lower cost.