bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applying the Jackknife Method to Significance Tests of Diagnostic Diversity
Authors: Izsák J.
Published: March 2018

The sample theory of normal diversity indices is complex. Distributionfree methods, such as the jackknife method, can easily be used to determine confidence intervals and testing diversity. Jackknife estimates and their variances for a number of different diversity indices are described in this paper. A simple numerical example is given for demonstrating this method. Discrimination based on confidence intervals is also discussed. It is assumed that there is a special correlation between the sensitivity parameter m and the relative width of confidence intervals in the Hurlbert index family. It is shown that the usual estimation of the Hurlbert index coincides with the relating jackknife estimate. For demonstration, diagnoses registered in a set of death certificates are used. There is a considerable diversity in diagnoses among different diagnostic groups: the diversity is largest in autopsy reports, whereas it is non-significant in GP’s reports and in reports of physicians authorized to issue death certificates. Knowing that autopsy reports tend to be fairly accurate, our research findings seem to confirm the hypothesis that there is a correlation between reliability and diversity of diagnoses.
Computer-Assisted Quality Assurance in an HIV Serology Laboratory
Authors: Biryahwaho B. , Downing R. G. , Ojwiya A. , Mulder D. W. , Nunn A. J.
Published: March 2018

A computer-based quality assurance programme for an HIV-1 serology laboratory is described. The programme was designed to minimise transcription errors and to provide rapid feedback on laboratory performance. Similar systems could readily be introduced to any laboratory with access to simple computing facilities.
Management-Focused Health Informatics Research and Education at the University of Manchester
Authors: Peel V. J.
Published: March 2018

The Health Services Management Unit was established in 1956 and the Centre for Health Informatics in 1988 as one of eight new centres of research and professional practice. New programmes of informatics education have been created to integrate many of the areas of social and management sciences with clinical work. The model, of a multi-disciplinary higher education department based at a University with very substantial departments of Bio-Medicine and Computation, enables the Centre to reflect an alternative paradigm of health informatics. Informatics practitioners from many disciplines are taught a combination of knowledge and skills through a range of educational methods. A classification scheme for educational work is offered.
Application of Indicators, Predictors and Diagnostic Indices in Coagulation Disorders
Authors: Wahlberg Th. , Blombäck Margareta , Hall P. , Axelsson G.
Published: March 2018

A theoretical model for the evaluation of binary and continuous diagnostic variables by indicators and predictors was recently described by Sebag and Hall [5]. The application of the new method for the evaluation of a self-administered questionnaire was described by Wahlberg et al. [6, 7]. In the present study the model is applied to material from two clinical tests :

1. Three blood coagulation laboratory tests for the diagnosis of von Willebrand’s disease (continuous variables) ;

2. Six blood coagulation laboratory tests performed in healthy males, aged 40, from Edinburgh and Stockholm, for the evaluation of risk factors in ischemic heart disease (continuous variables).

The diagnostic power of the laboratory variables is calculated by indicators and predictors. The total diagnostic capacity of all variables is expressed by a laboratory or summation index.

The material from the coagulation tests shows that it was possible to separate healthy individuals from diseased ones. By laboratory indices calculated for six coagulation variables, the Stockholm and Edinburgh populations were found to have different blood coagulation patterns.
A Data Management System for Veterinary Pathology
Authors: Peterson L. L. , Ward D. L. , Mishelevich D. J. , Shadduck J. A.
Published: March 2018

A computer system for the management of Veterinary Pathology data has been developed as an application of a general purpose Clinical Data Management System (CDMS), which was implemented at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas for a high-reliability multiprocessor TANDEM-16. CDMS manages the data input phase of the Veterinary Pathology system and has numerous features to assist a novice user, such as the presentation of »screens« of data each accompanied by an easily accessed HELP screen, on-line user documentation and computer-assisted instruction material. Retrievals from the Veterinary Pathology system utilize the TANDEM relational retrieval facility ENFORM and the experimental natural language retrieval system, the MEANINGEX-based Semantic Similarity Analyzer. This computer-based storage, retrieval and report generation system is designed to meet the well-defined requirements of the user group with respect to its teaching, research and service commitments. Results of its first year of operation indicate that the Veterinary Pathology data management system is convenient and useful in the environment for which it was designed.
An Adaptive System for the Automatic Description of EEG Background Activity
Authors: Ferber G.
Published: March 2018

Two methods for the automatic assessment of the background activity of the electroencephalogram (EEG) and its asymmetries are presented. They are based on a set of spectral EEG parameters. The first method makes use of linear discriminant functions and of an outlier test. The second method uses regression functions instead. The disadvantage of a slightly smaller number of correctly classified EEGs is made up for by the possibility of making use of the Widrow—Hoff procedure. With this procedure, the regression functions may be easily updated whenever a new EEG enters the learning set. So this method is easy to adapt to slight modifications of the way of recording as well as analyzing the EEG.
Feedback of Therapeutic Skills for Quality Assessment within Ward Sessions in Psychiatry
Authors: Rienhoff O. , Machleidt W.
Published: March 2018

Within the framework of a brief review the state of the art of quality control for therapeutic work with special emphasis on interpersonal skills is summarized.

The results of a documentation developed at the Medical School Hannover for ward sessions in psychiatry are presented. They are based on the evaluation of 190 ward sessions. For six months the behaviour of the patients as well as that of the therapists was measured by using a controlled rating scale. The results describe the characteristic differences between the therapists leading a ward-group with respect to the satisfaction with the session in relation to different kinds of quality models. The individual style of the therapists corresponding with the number of ward sessions performed proves to be an important factor for the quality of the therapy. The results are used for the design of a feedback system for the training of therapists.
The Value of Temporary Electrical Pacing for Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Northover B. J.
Published: March 2018

Facilities for temporary electrical pacing were created in a district general hospital. In consequence, a more than twofold increased proportion of patients with acute myocardial infarction who developed electrical conduction defects were treated with temporary electrical pacing. Despite the increased use of pacing, however, the mortality among patients with conduction defects did not decline at all. It is concluded that the widespread reluctance to undertake a formal clinical trial of temporary electrical pacing among patients with acute myocardial infarction is no longer warranted.
Multistate Survival Analysis: An Application in Breast Cancer
Authors: Kay R.
Published: March 2018

The extension of the proportional hazard model of Cox for survival data allows the consideration of transition times between events of interest (e.g., response, relapse, progression, etc.) and of competing risks. This paper applies these new models to a breast cancer study and gives some general remarks for the proceeding.
Analysis of Maximum Expiratory Flow Volume Curves Using Canonical Correlation Analysis
Authors: van Pelt W. , Quanjer Ph. H. , Wise M. E. , van der Burg E. , van der Lende R.
Published: March 2018

As part of a population study on chronic lung disease in the Netherlands, an investigation is made of the relationship of both age and sex with indices describing the maximum expiratory flow-volume (MEFV) curve. To determine the relationship, non-linear canonical correlation was used as realized in the computer program CANALS, a combination of ordinary canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and non-linear transformations of the variables. This method enhances the generality of the relationship to be found and has the advantage of showing the relative importance of categories or ranges within a variable with respect to that relationship. The above is exemplified by describing the relationship of age and sex with variables concerning respiratory symptoms and smoking habits. The analysis of age and sex with MEFV curve indices shows that non-linear canonical correlation analysis is an efficient tool in analysing size and shape of the MEFV curve and can be used to derive parameters concerning the whole curve.
A Computerized Information System for a Pain Clinic
Authors: Hildebrandt J. , Klar R. , Weyland A. , Wieding J. U.
Published: March 2018

The concept of the pain clinic constitutes a recent medical development requiring a thorough documentation of patient-related data in order to achieve reasonable standards in diagnosis and treatment, to ensure that the follow-up maintains these standards and to supply necessary data for research on the epidemiology, etiology, and therapy of chronic pain. We, therefore, developed a set of medical questionnaires for pain patients together with a microcomputer system for the storage and analysis of the data obtained. The main features of our approach are the problem-oriented medical records, the multi-user system and the immediate availability of the supplied data to every therapist using the system.
A Scheme for Usage Integrity
Authors: Fenna D.
Published: March 2018

The need for assured integrity and confidentiality in medical information systems has long been recognized and has been the subject of major international working conferences [4, 5]. Beyond the purely physical, the field of data protection is commonly recognized as being divided into data/program integrity and usage integrity. This paper addresses the latter, describing a sophisticated scheme developed at the University of Alberta and progressively implemented at several associated hospitals. The IFIP-IMIA WG4 conference of 1982 reported in its conclusions “a need for well defined and accurately described cases that can be used as a reference”; this paper offers one such case.
Nonparametric Analysis of Treatment-Response Tables by Bipredictive Configurai Frequency Analysis
Authors: Lienert G. A. , Netter Petra
Published: March 2018

Bipredictive configurai frequency analysis (CFA) is introduced as a complement to predictive CFA as a method for analyzing r X c contingency tables with r treatment modalities and c response patterns. It is illustrated by an example from dose effect regression evaluation in a randomized block design.
On-line Tropical Epidemiology -A Case-Study from The Gambia
Authors: Rowan Kathryn , Byass P. , Snow R. W.
Published: March 2018

This paper reports on a computerised approach to the management of an epidemiological field trial, which aimed at determining the effects of insecticide-impregnated bed nets on the incidence of malaria in children. The development of a data system satisfying the requirements of the project and its implementation using a database management system are discussed. The advantages of this method of management in terms of rapid processing of and access to data from the study are described, together with the completion rates and error rates observed in data collection.
On Clinically Relevant Differences and Shifted Nullhypotheses
Authors: Victor N.
Published: March 2018

The currently usual one value for the judgement of the clinical relevance of therapeutic effects frequently does not suffice to adequately formulate the problems of clinical studies, and the statistical standard procedure (the testing of the classical nullhypothesis) fails to take this value duly into account.

Therefore, it is proposed to judge the clinical relevance and importance by means of four values, fixed in discussions with the clinician before commencement of the study, and to proceed by testing non-zero nullhypotheses (shifted nullhypotheses) where the “clinically relevant difference” is the shift parameter.

Methodical problems resulting from the shifting of the nullhypothesis are discussed, and other possibilities to take into account the clinically relevant difference (introduction of criteria of success) are considered.
Persons and Computers in Medicine and Health
Authors: Grémy F.
Published: March 2018

The author gives a series of reflections about some claims of Artificial Intelligence supporters on the possibilities for a machine to duplicate human intelligence. He points out:

a) the structural peculiarities of the brain,

b) the road taken by humans to progress from the beginner’s up to the expert’s level,

c) the counter-offensive of phenomenological philosophy against the rationalistic tradition,

d) the backward movement of some prominent Artificial Intelligence researchers who renounce some of their previous pretentions.

Finally, he tries to specify the respective place of “know how” and “know that” in medicine and to delimit the place of expert systems.

In conclusion, the author claims that every information system should be man-oriented and man-centered.
Knowledge Engineering for Clinical Consultation Programs: Modeling the Application Area
Authors: Musen Mark A. , van der Lei Johan
Published: March 2018

Developers of computer-based decision-support tools frequently adopt either pattern recognition or artificial intelligence techniques as the basis for their programs. Because these developers often choose to accentuate the differences between these alternative approaches, the more fundamental similarities are frequently overlooked. The principal challenge in the creation of any clinical consultation program - regardless of the methodology that is used - lies in creating a computational model of the application domain. The difficulty in generating such a model manifests itself in symptoms that workers in the expert systems community have labeled “the knowledge-acquisition bottleneck” and “the problem of brittleness”. This paper explores these two symptoms and shows how the development of consultation programs based on pattern-recognition techniques is subject to analogous difficulties. The expert systems and pattern recognition communities must recognize that they face similar challenges, and must unite to develop methods that assist with the process of building of models of complex application tasks.
Discriminating Powers of Partial Agreements of Names for Linking Personal Records
Authors: Newcombe H. B. , Fair M. E. , Lalonde P.
Published: March 2018

The preceeding paper examined the logical basis of an exact way of calculating the discriminating powers of people’s names when they only partially agree. The method has application to automated file searching and record linkage. The present account describes an empirical test of the approach. Use is made of some 2000 comparison pairs of male given names, obtained as a byproduct from an earlier linkage study. The test shows that exact value-specific ODDS can indeed be calculated for common names when compared with their accepted synonyms (e.g. JOSEPH versus JOE). Moreover, the use can be extended to include rare variants, by arranging these into groups defined in value-specific terms (e.g. as selected blocks in an alphabetically sequenced listing, or combinations of such blocks). A majority of all name comparisons may be handled in this manner.

The added precision serves to reduce the numbers of records that are ambiguously linked and require labour intensive clerical resolution.
On Medical Informatics
Authors: Haux R.
Published: March 2018

This paper summarizes the author’s point of view of defining medical informatics, to stimulate further discussions on how this “newly emerging discipline” should further proceed. We realize that the term “informatics” is related rather to the term “information science” than to “computer science”. Accordingly, medical informatics deals with the systematic processing of information in medicine. Many information systems in medicine are interrelated and can hardly be regarded as independent systems. As a result, medicine becomes gradually more an “empirical science of extreme complexity”. Because of its complexity and wide range of applications, medical informatics should be considered as a separate discipline, its aim being to contribute to the systematic processing of information in medicine. The contribution of medical informatics should be a better understanding of the human being and means for the provision of high quality patient care.
A National Computer-Based Epidemiological Information System
Authors: Bachev S. , Petkova Elena
Published: March 2018

A computer-based system for epidemiological information has been worked out on the basis of the existing system for obligatory registration of all persons suffering from infectious diseases. The system consists of two subsystems
1. for descriptive epidemiological information and
2. for analytical epidemiological information.

The first subsystem is based on the daily input of registered cases and supplies the necessary information on the epidemic situation of the country by diagnoses, towns and villages, regions and districts, new cases and deaths.

Using the data of epidemiological research and the results of medical treatment, the second subsystem meets the demands for data for the regular annual epidemiological analyses. The information collected is analytically evaluated, throwing light upon the factors determining the epidemic situation of the country and making it possible to develop a strategy for the control of infectious diseases and to obtain a model of the epidemic process.
A Contribution by Multidimensional Methods to Choosing Descriptive Data for EEG by Spectral Analysis
Authors: Chavance M. , Samson-Dollfus Dominique
Published: March 2018

One of the main difficulties in automatic analysis of EEG tracings is the reduction of data; spectral analysis allows only a partial reduction. Principal component analysis is used to determine amongst a group of quantitative variables those which best describe a given sample of power spectra. The tracings come from normal children (10 to 12 years of age) recorded on four leads (fronto-central right and left, centro-occipital right and left) in five experimental situations (resting with eyes closed, during five minutes of hyperventilation, resting with eyes open, and during simple arithmetic and vocabulary tests, eyes closed). It is shown that four variables are enough to describe the spectra.
Structural, Syntactical and Semantic Data Validation in the Computer Processing of a Medical File
Authors: Martin J. M. , Pointel J. P. , Martin J. , Debry G.
Published: March 2018

Validation of all data in the medical file is indispensable before storage in the computer in order to eliminate errors which may have occurred during data collection and transmission. Formal internal validation checks the observance of spelling and syntax rules governing conversion of medical observations into a form usable by the computer. Internal semantic validation checks the credibility of data by reference to standards. External validation cheeks conformity of the file, printed in clear language, with medical reality.
Genesis, Growth, and Therapy of Tumors: Mathematical Models
Authors: Bühler W. J.
Published: March 2018

Many phenomena in biology and medicine display regularities which can be described mathematically (though quite often in a particular set of observations these regularities are rather well hidden behind irregularities introduced by factors unrelated to the phenomenon observed, i.e. by »biological variation« and »random fluctuations«). Mathematical models are constructed not only to describe and explain quantitative relationships but also to predict aspects of the phenomena which are not yet observed or even unobservable.

Tumor research is one of the areas in which mathematical work of this kind has been done in about the last two decades. Recent developments have been stimulated by the special sessions of the fourth and fifth Berkeley Symposia devoted to the subject. The purpose of the present paper is to give a survey over the work that has been done and to indicate current trends. An attempt has been made to provide the reader with a complete list of references.
The Evaluation of Hospital Returns in Developing Countries
Authors: Diesfeld H. J.
Published: March 2018

A method is presented to improve the applicability of information derived from hospital returns. This method may also serve as a tool for the evaluation of hospital services and for regional hospital planning.

Hospital returns should report in the form of »hospital recording rates« for each of the recorded diseases per year of observation. The »hospital recording rate« is the observed number of each diagnosis in a given period of time, divided by the »effective population« of the »hospital catchment area«. The »hospital catchment area« and the »effective population« are defined by scores reflecting the estimated »degree of centrality«, which is considering the attractivity and accessibility of the single hospital and the demographic situation in the hospital area. The »degree of centrality« can be compared with the regional mean score in order to categorize each hospital within the infrastructure of hospital services in that region. This procedure can supply valuable information for regional hospital planning.
The Use of Biomedical Periodical Literature at the National Lending Library for Science and Technology
Authors: Wood D. N. , Bower C. A.
Published: March 2018

The paper reports the results of a two week questionnaire survey of the use of biomedical periodical literature carried out at the UK National Lending Library in February 1969. The survey was designed to discover the subject, date and language characteristics of the borrowed literature, the most frequently requested journals, and the most popular sources of-references to biomedical publications.

The loans were spread over 1,084 titles, although 9 per cent of the issues involved only 2 per cent of the titles. The literature in most demand was less than one year old and in the case of medicine 50 per cent of the requests were for literature less than 3½ years old. The half-life for the biological literature was somewhat longer at 5¾ years. The majority of issues (87.8 per cent) involved English language periodicals.

Overall, the principal sources of references to the requested literature were citation lists in other periodical articles. Regarding the more recent literature, however, abstracting and indexing journals were the primary sources of information. For medical references Index Medicus was the most used indexing publication, and for biological references Current Contents.
Sequential Instruction System (SIS))
Authors: Reichertz P. L. , Courtney D. , Birznieks F. B.
Published: March 2018

This article describes a relatively simple conversational computer system to handle instructional texts or to perform a computer-aided testing. The system proceeds in a sequential mode with possibilities for branching forward or backward from where a sequential course is resumed.

Instructional or explanatory texts and/or multiple choice questions may be displayed. According to the answers the correctness or incorrectness of the reply is indicated. After each incorrect answer references or explanations are given. If desired, these explanatory frames can also be accessed after correct answers.

After completion of a course the score is displayed. SIS produces a log for the instructor including answers to individual questions and summary scores.

The system is written in FORTRAN. It is designed to run under O.S. on IBM 360 series computers with 2260 cathode ray tube (CRT) displays. It exists in two versions, one operating under a stand-alone attention handler for local displays, the other requiring the B.E.S.T. (Baylor Executive System for Teleprocessing) as message control program. In this case, remote CRT’s, teletypes and typewriter-type terminals may also serve as user terminals.

Though a few courses have been implemented, SIS is the basic vehicle, not the content of courses.
Ein EKG-Routmedokumentationssystem
Authors: Baueh P. , Kühn P. , Scheibeh V.
Published: March 2018

Es wird die Organisation eines EKG-Dokumentationssystems für stationäre und ambulante Patienten einer internen Klinikvorgestellt. Dabei erfolgt die Datenerfassung auf Lochkarten (Identifikationsdaten, Zuweisungsdiagnose und kardiale Therapie) und Markierungsbelegen (Befundung des EKG). Ferner wird über die Erfahrungen mit diesem System während eines 8-monatigen Routineeinsatzes berichtet. Uber die Güte der dokumentierten Information wurden gezielte Untersuchungen angestellt. Dabei ergaben sich statistisch gesicherte Unterschiede zwischen den Befundern in der Qualität der Datenerhebung und zwischen den Befunden in Abhängigkeit vom Schwierigkeitsgrad. Trotz der geforderten Vollständigkeit der Befundung mittels Markierungsbelegs und der Möglichkeit der Klartextzusätze zeigte sich, daß bei der konventionellen Befundung durch Diktieren die erhobenen Daten wohl unvollständiger erfaßt waren, die Beurteilung jedoch in mehreren Fällen zutreffender war.
Datengewinnungsprojekt für Verlaufsuntersuchungen bei stationär behandelten psychiatrischen Patienten
Authors: HABECK D. , SEELHEIM H.
Published: March 2018

Der Mangel an Informationen über die psychiatrisch. Kranken in der BRD wurde kürzlich sowohl im Bundestag als auch auf dem letzten Deutschen Ärztetag beklagt. Für stationär aufgenommene Patienten liefern die bisher teilweise erstellten Querschnittsstatistiken nur unvollständige Aussagen. Differenziertere Angaben sind nur durch Verlaufsuntersuchungen zu erwarten. Seitens des Landschaftsverbandes Westfalen-Lippe erfolgt seit Frühjahr 1960 eine Dokumentation aller Aufnahmen in den psychiatrischen Landeskrankenhäusern. Aus diesen Ausgangsdaten (A-Daten) wurde der Aufnahmej ahrgang 1961 herausgegriffen und in einen* standardisierten patientenbezogenen Datensatz transformiert. Die Daten dieser Kranken werden gegenwärtig durch nachträgliche Befund-Dokumentation (B-Daten) an Hand der Krankenblätter in 3 der 7 westfälischen Landeskrankenhäuser und in 4 weiteren öffentlichen und privaten psychiatrischen Krankenhäusern des Münsterlandes erweitert. In einer dritten Stufe sind katamnestische Untersuchungen (C-Daten) zunächst im Stadtund Landkreis Münster geplant. Wesentliche Ziele sind neben demographischen Analysen eine Herausarbeitung von für die stationäre Verweildauer und Resozialisierung maßgeblichen Einflußgrößen medizinischer und sozialer Art.
Vergleichskriterien unterschiedlicher Klassifikationssysteme
Authors: HÖPKER W. W.
Published: March 2018

Auch in Zukunft werden ▪— besonders im internationalen Bereich — konventionelle Klassifikationsund Codierungssysteme in der Medizin ihre Berechtigung behalten. Die Entscheidung für ein bestimmtes Klassifikationssystem sollte nicht nur nach sachlichen und begrifflich-semantischen Gesichtspunkten erfolgen. Für die Codierung selbst und deren formalen Ablauf — zum Zwecke der Optimierung des eigentlichen Verschlüsselungsvorganges und damit des Arbeitsaufwandes — sind zusätzliche Vergleichskriterien heranzuziehen, die es gestatten, die formalen Eigenschaften der verschiedenen Klassifikationssysteme zu beschreiben und gegeneinander abzugrenzen.

Die eigenen Untersuchungen gehen von zwei unterschiedlichen Voraussetzungen aus. Nach bestimmten Kriterien wird die aus der Ordnungsstruktur der Klassifikationssysteme ersichtliche Gliederung zur Definition einer »Klasse« herangezogen, deren numerischer Umfang nach Rang geordnet und für jeden Schlüssel getrennt dargestellt wird. Der Vergleich dieser Rangzahlkurven zwischen den einzelnen Schlüsseln ergibt erste Anhaltspunkte für die Gliederungsstruktur derselben.

Die informationstheoretischen Begriffe wie Information, Entropie und Redundanz werden erläutert und auf die derzeit bekannten national wie international verbreiteten Schlüssel angewandt. Die erhaltenen Werte ergeben gute Vergleichskriterien derart, daß ein Maß für die Information der Gliederung eines Klassifikationssystems angegeben werden kann, welches nicht aus dem Bedeutungsinhalt der in den Schlüsseln aufgeführten Vorzugsbenennungen (Preferred Terms) abgeleitet werden kann und ausschließlich als Ausdruck angewandter Ordnungsund Aufteilungskriterien anzusehen ist.

Benutzungshäufigkeiten der Schlüssel und deren Vorzugsbenennungen liegen uns nicht vor. Aus diesem Grunde ist es nicht möglich, differenziertere informationstheoretische Größen zu berechnen.
Sources of Variation in Clinical Observations: Problems of Teaching and Some Results
Authors: Dixon R. A. , Johnston S. M.
Published: March 2018

The Wright Peak Flowmeter has proved a useful instrument to demonstrate to fourth year medical students in a three-hour practical class the sources of random and systematic variation arising in biological measurements. A learning effect and both instrument and observer bias including terminal digit preference were analysed by the students using a desk top computer to carry out simple statistical routines. The differing requirements of reproducibility and precision in epidemiological and routine clinical use were discussed.
A Computer-Based System for Management of Clinical and Laboratory Data of a Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center
Authors: Gaynon P. , Honig G. R.
Published: March 2018

Procedures have been established for the computer-assisted collection and retrieval of data generated in the screening and patient care functions of a comprehensive sickle cell center. Data are collected on preprinted mark sense forms from three encounters: hemoglobinopathy screening, outpatient clinic visits, and transfusions. Inpatient clinical data are organized following a prepared outline and are entered directly onto diskpack via a remote terminal. Corrections and verifications of all data entries are performed utilizing the editing capabilities of WYLBUR. Confidentiality of information is maintained by application of a password system for access to the data base and by procedures that assure security of tapes and diskpacks containing clinical and screening data.
Basic Problems of Logic in Drug Investigations
Authors: Röpke H.
Published: March 2018

The basic problems of the theory of cognition when extrapolating the results of animal experiments to man and the limitations of inferences from clinical investigations of drugs are discussed from the point of view of applied logic.
Vermeidung und Ausschaltung von Fehlern bei der Planung und Auswertung therapeutischer Prüfungen
Authors: Oberhoffer G.
Published: March 2018

Bei therapeutischen Prüfungen sind verschiedene Arten von Fehlermöglichkeiten zu berücksichtigen: 1. bekannte, ausschaltbare Fehler, 2. bekannte, nicht ausschaltbare Fehler und 3. unbekannte Fehler. Verfasser erläutert die verschiedenen Verfahrensprinzipien und Analysemethoden, die zur Vermeidung bzw. Ausschaltung derartiger Fehler in der klinisch-therapeutischen Forschung entwickelt worden sind. Eine moderne klinische Arzneimittelprüfung ist heutzutage nur noch in Form einer Gemeinschaftsarbeit durchführbar. Abschließend werden daher einige Mindestanforderungen für die Zusammenarbeit zwischen mehreren Krankenhäusern, zwischen mehreren Forschern und zwischen der Klinik und der pharmazeutischen Industrie aufgeführt.
Prinzipien der Klassifikation
Authors: Thimm W.
Published: March 2018

In allen Wissenschaften tritt das Problem auf, große Mengen von Dingen übersichtlich zu ordnen, so daß nach einem einfachen Verfahren jedes gewünschte Ding zuverlässig und schnell herausgefunden werden kann. Diese Aufgabe hat zur Entwicklung von Theorie und Praxis der1 Systematisierung und Klassifizierung geführt. Über einige allgemeine Prinzipien für Klassifizierungen wird hier berichtet. Diese Prinzipien werden am Beispiel der Klassifizierung von Krankheitstypen erläutert. Zusätzliche Bedingungen für das Krankheitstypenschema ergeben sich daraus, daß es dem Arzt als Hilfsmittel für die Diagnose dienen soll.
Untersuchungen über den Beruf als Krankheitsursache II
Authors: Beckenkamp H.
Published: March 2018

Schon auf dem Gebiete der ,,klassischen” Berufskrankheiten sind sehr viele Unklarheiten zu beseitigen. Dabei bieten sich bessere Dokumentationsmethoden und moderne statistische Verfahren als Hilfsmittel an. Wir haben Verbesserungsmöglichkeiten bei der Dokumentation des Materials der Staatlichen Gewerbeärzte aufgezeigt. Das noch schwierigere arbeitsmedizinische Forschungsgebiet ,,Zusammenhang zwischen Beruf und Allgemeinerkrankungen” erweist sich weitgehend als ein statistisch-mathematisches Problem, das zwar kompliziert, aber doch prinzipiell lösbar erscheint. Wie sich aus statistischen Untersuchungen an Berufsanfängern und an 40- bis 60-jährigen Männern ergibt, muß man genau unterscheiden zwischen dem Ausleseeffekt der Berufs einmün dung und der Auswirkung der Berufstätigkeit auf den durchschnittlichen Gesundheitszustand der Beruf sgruppen. Manche als einheitlich betrachtete Berufsgruppe erweist sich als inhomogen; zwischen ,,gelernten” und ,,ungelernten” Arbeitern ähnlicher Berufstätigkeit. (,, Hüttenarbeiter”!) bestehen beträchtliche Konstitutionsunterschiede, ebenso beispielsweise zwischen eigentlichen Steinkohlenbergleuten und Grubenhandwerkern unter Tag. Die Bildung einer kleinen Elite aus einer Berufsgruppe führt ebenfalls zu Konstitutionsunterschieden (Hauer und Steiger), weshalb bei Untersuchung repräsentativer Stichproben aus derartigen Berufskollektiven auf das quantitativ richtige Verhältnis ,,Mehrzahl: Elite” zu achten ist. Die amtlichen oder von den Betrieben zur Verfügung gestellten Berufsbezeichnungen sind für den Arzt von geringem Wert. Arbeitsplatzbesichtigung und Kontrolle der selbst zusammengestellten Berufskollektive mit statistischen Mitteln sind nötig.
DIAPAS: A »Personalized Alerting Service« for Diabetes
Authors: Ember G. , Goldwynand A. J.
Published: March 2018

Bibliographie citations are selectively disseminated to diabetes researchers and clinicians by’a system utilizing the MEDLARS tape record. Individual interest profiles were constructed which, being constantly refined by the users’ critical response to retrieved information, represent coordinated sets of search terms in machine-readable form. The design and functions of DIAPAS are outlined together with an evaluation of the results in the first six months of experimental service.
Information Handling
Authors: Rich R. P.
Published: March 2018

This paper explains how a small research effort in document retrieval led to the development of a generally useful package of information processing programs, first for a small (IBM 1401) computer and then for a large (IBM 7094) computer, to meet the growing demand, The approach is based ori standard programs for routine operations (editing, printing, searching) on information files, supplemented by a problem-oriented computer language for programming those tasks which the standard ‘ programs will not handle.

The entire package has been carefully designed so that it can easily be taught to and used by people without previous computer experience, including clerical staff.
Symbolic Shorthand System for Physiology and Medicine
Authors: Ember G. , Padmanabhan N.
Published: March 2018

The Symbolic Shorthand System (SSS) is applicable to any problem of documentation. Instead of a code designation composed of numbers and letters the SSS uses mnemonic symbols and signs reminiscent of the subjects they denote.

All possible subjects and relationships between them are first arranged in one dimension, typed separately on subject cards, and then arranged one after the other according to a fixed order of precedence.

Synonymous designations are avoided because all symbols have only one fixed meaning. The possibility of combining symbols gives this system the vital flexibility that other methods lack and it can be expanded indefinitely by establishing new symbols and signs.
Methodische Probleme in der Erfassung der Berufe von Patienten
Authors: Heyl U.
Published: March 2018

Im maschinengerecht dokumentierten Krankenblatt der Kieler Hautklinik ist der Beruf der Kranken nach der »Systematik der Berufe«, die der Volkszählung 1950 zu Grunde lag, erfaßt worden. Die Auswertung der Krankenblätter aus den Jahren 1954-1961 hat im Hinblick auf soziologische Fragestellungen erhebliche Mängel in der Dokumentation ergeben: Bei der Erfassung der Berufe grundsätzliche Schwierigkeiten in der Unterscheidung von Erwerbspersonen, von Angehörigen ohne Hauptberuf und von selbständigen Berufslosen; in ihrer Häufigkeit unkontrollierbare Fehler durch ungeschultes Personal; bei den Kranken die unzureichende Kennzeichnung des Wohnortes. Hinzu kommt aus organisatorischen Gründen die Beschränkung der Berufserfassung ausschließlich auf stationäre Kranke der Klinik; ferner die geringe Eignung, die eine für die Zwecke der Wirtschaft, Politik und Verwaltung nach Wirtschaftsabteilungen geordnete Systematik der Berufe als Vergleichsbasis für medizinische Zwecke besitzt. Endlich spielt auch die Art der Dokumentation von wiederholten Aufnahmen des gleichen Kranken eine Rolle. Alle diese Mängel werden als »Kinderkrankheiten« einer maschinengerechten Dokumentation in einer Klinik dargestellt. Trotz aller Unzulänglichkeiten in den Grundlagen hat die Auswertung der Berufsstruktur, wie sie sich bei den eigenen Kranken darstellt, zur Erkennung bemerkenswerter Tendenzen geführt.
The Center for International Biomedical Communications Research
Authors: Kent A. , Vinken P. J.
Published: March 2018

A joint center has been established by the University of Pittsburgh and the Excerpta Medica Foundation. The basic objective of the Center is to seek ways in which the health sciences community may achieve increasingly convenient and economical access to scientific findings. The research center will make use of facilities and resources of both participating institutions. Cooperating from the University of Pittsburgh will be the School of Medicine, the Computation and Data Processing Center, and the Knowledge Availability Systems (KAS) Center. The KAS Center is an interdisciplinary organization engaging in research, operations, and teaching in the information sciences.

Excerpta Medica Foundation, which is the largest international medical abstracting service in the world, with offices in Amsterdam, New York, London, Milan, Tokyo and Buenos Aires, will draw on its permanent medical staff of 54 specialists in charge of the 35 abstracting journals and other reference works prepared and published by the Foundation, the 700 eminent clinicians and researchers represented on its International Editorial Boards, and the 6,000 physicians who participate in its abstracting programs throughout the world. Excerpta Medica will also make available to the Center its long experience in the field, as well as its extensive resources of medical information accumulated during the Foundation’s twenty years of existence. These consist of over 1,300,000 English-language _abstract of the world’s biomedical literature, indexes to its abstracting journals, and the microfilm library in which complete original texts of all the 3,000 primary biomedical journals, monitored by Excerpta Medica in Amsterdam are stored since 1960.

The objectives of the program of the combined Center include: (1) establishing a firm base of user relevance data; (2) developing improved vocabulary control mechanisms; (3) developing means of determining confidence limits of vocabulary control mechanisms in terms of user relevance data; 4. developing and field testing of new or improved media for providing medical literature to users; 5. developing methods for determining the relationship between learning and relevance in medical information storage and retrieval systems’; and (6) exploring automatic methods for retrospective searching of the specialized indexes of Excerpta Medica.

The priority projects to be undertaken by the Center are (1) the investigation of the information needs of medical scientists, and (2) the development of a highly detailed Master List of Biomedical Indexing Terms. Excerpta Medica has already been at work on the latter project for several years.
A Linguistic Approach to Relevance Judgment
Authors: Sastri M. I.
Published: March 2018

A lexically-oriented approach to the judgment of relevance is proposed, and data derived from medical literature is presented to illustrate the technique. This approach to relevance judgments assumes that the user is guided in his judgments primarily by a similarity of words in the question and in the document. A sample of questions submitted by medical researchers and the output obtained in response to them were examined.
Computed Cardiographie Pattern Diagnosis
Authors: Simônson Ehnst , Blackburn Henby , Taylor Henry , Cady Lee
Published: March 2018

Problems encountered in computing electrocardiographic diagnoses will be discussed. The method was to select voltage and time measurements for quantified diagnostic criteria. The selection was based on the physiologic events of the heart, the pathologic involvement for different diseases, the geometry of the lead system and the dispersion and overlap of the diagnostic groupings. It was possible to compute envelope surfaces which enclose each diagnostic grouping of persons. Specific measurements of voltages and times gave a great separation of persons with different diagnoses and little separation of persons with the same diagnoses.
Zur Verwendung der Faktorenanalyse in der medizinischen Diagnostik
Authors: Übeela Karl
Published: March 2018

Nach einer allgemeinen Einführung in die Faktorenanalyse mit Darstellung der wichtigsten dabei auftretenden Matrizen an Hand eines Ablaufdiagramms werden zwei Möglichkeiten erläutert, wie man die Faktorenanalyse in der medizinischen Diagnostik einsetzen könnte. Einmal kann sie zur Schätzung von Größen verwendet werden, die man direkt nicht messen kann, auch nicht an einer kleinen Stichprobe. Voraussetzung ist dann allerdings, daß man andere Variable kennt, die mit der geschätzten korrelieren. Die zweite Möglichkeit wäre die Verwendung der Faktorenanalyse zur Definition und Schätzung komplexer Gegebenheiten, z. B. von Krankheiten. Man könnte eine Krankheit als einen Faktor im Sinne der Faktorenanalyse definieren„ der bei wiederholten Erhebungen immer wieder auftritt. Eine solche multivariate metrische Definition könnte nützlich sein. Gegenüber einigen anderen Lösungsvorschlägen für das diagnostische Problem hat dieses Modell den Vorzug, daß es nicht an die Voraussetzung voneinander unabhängiger Symptome gebunden ist.
Probleme der Dokumentation ambulanter Krankenblätter
Authors: Pascheh W.
Published: March 2018

Es wird über die maschinelle Dokumentation eines großen ambulanten Krankengutes berichtet. Die Verschlüsselung der auf dokumentationsgerechten Ambulanzkarten niedergelegten persönlichen und medizinischen Sachverhalte wird quartalsweise durchgeführt. Damit die Krankenpapiere rasch an das Archiv zurückgegeben werden können, erfolgt die Übertragung der Schlüsselpositionen auf Lochbelege. Verzögerungen im poliklinischen Betriebsablauf lassen sich so weitgehend vermeiden. Durch Anordnung der von den Lochbelegen erstellten Lochkarten in zeitlich richtiger Reihenfolge entsteht eine Verlaufsdokumentation, welche den bewegten und wechselvollen Ablauf des individuellen Krankheitsfalles widerspiegelt.
Quality Control of Data in a Large-Scale Cancer Register Program
Authors: Lourie W. I. , Haenszeland W.
Published: March 2018

Quality control of data collected in the United States by the Cancer End Results Program utilizing punchcards prepared by participating registries in accordance with a Uniform Punchcard Code is discussed. Existing arrangements decentralize responsibility for editing and related data processing to the local registries with centralization of tabulating and statistical services in the End Results Section, National Cancer Institute. The most recent deck of punchcards represented over 600,000 cancer patients; approximately 50,000 newly diagnosed cases are added annually.

Mechanical editing and inspection of punchcards and field audits are the principal tools for quality control. Mechanical editing of the punchcards includes testing for blank entries and detection of in-admissable or inconsistent codes. Highly improbable codes are subjected to special scrutiny. Field audits include the drawing of a 1-10 percent random sample of punchcards submitted by a registry; the charts are .then reabstracted and recoded by a NCI staff member and differences between the punchcard and the results of independent review are noted.
The Random Allocation of Patients in Clinical Trials
Authors: Deeley J.
Published: March 2018

The allocation of patients in controlled clinical trials may be by random selection or by a system of stratification. True matching of the two series can, however, only be achieved by a system of pairing of patients. Such a system is described.
Befunddokumentation bei rheumatoider Arthritis. Methodik zur Beurteilung des Verlaufes und Behandlungserfolges
Authors: Josenhans G.
Published: March 2018

Ein Erfassungsbogen für die klinischen Symptome der rheumatoiden Arthritis sowie ein zweiter für definierte und meßbare Krankheitskriterien werden kurz beschrieben.
Einfluß der Faktoren Tageszeit und Elektrodenlage und ihre Prüfung bei automatischer EEG-Auswertung
Authors: Beigel Th. M.
Published: March 2018

Der Studie liegt ein zweimonatiges Experiment zugrunde, in welchem zu verschiedenen Tageszeiten das EEG der Probanden kurzzeitig registriert wurde. Nach der automatischen Extraktion der Dominanten Frequenz aus dem EEG wurde der Einfluß der Hauptwirkungen Tageszeit, Langzeit und Elektrodenlage sowie der Wechselwirkung Tageszeit/Langzeit bei Anwendung des korrekten F-Tests von LE ROY untersucht.

Im Anhang wurde der F-Test eines gemischten Modells von fünf Faktoren entwickelt und die vereinfachte Regel von DUDECK für partiell-hierarchische Modelle erläutert.
Natural Language and a Computer System in Medical Research*)
Authors: Johnson Ileana C. , Tsao S. L. , Bross I. D. J. , Shedd D. P.
Published: March 2018

A series of computer programs are now available for processing data whose basic form is narrative (natural language), numerical or a combination of the two. This system was developed in the Department of Biostatistics of Roswell Park Memorial Institute, to enable an investigator to have complete control of the data — from the initial stage of entering the data to the final stage of analysis. Specialized knowledge of computers is not necessary in order to implement the different procedures. By following the instructions specified in various manuals and by basically just pushing a button of a remote terminal the procedures are activated and executed. This system is actually used for maintaining the data of a head and neck cancer project.
Die Prognose von Therapieerfolgen mittels Markov-Ketten: Eine Anwendung auf Epilepsieambulanzen
Authors: Kriedel Th.
Published: March 2018

In diesem Artikel wird eine Methode gezeigt, wie der langfristige Erfolg einer neuen Therapieform gegenüber dem Status quo quantifiziert werden kann. Das Vorgehen besteht darin, die Krankheitsentwicklung unter der neuen Behandlungsform über eine Markov-Kette zu beschreiben, die stationäre Verteilung zu berechnen und daraus die Prävalenzraten abzuleiten. Diese Methode wird zur Illustration auf ein Epilepsieprogramm angewendet, wobei sich die empirische Durchführbarkeit bestätigt.