bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Visual Stimulator for Eye Movement Studies Based on a Microcomputer System
Authors: Juhola M. , Virtanen K. , Helin M. , Jäntti V. , Nurkkanen P. , Aantaa E.
Published: March 2018

A visual stimulator system for studies of eye movements has been developed. The system is controlled by an inexpensive microcomputer. It is employed for otoneurological studies both in clinical work and in research, but can also be applied for studies of eye movements in other medical areas. Three types of eye movements are produced, viz. saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements and optokinetic nystagmus. The stimulator system can be connected to another computer for an analysis of eye movements.
Concerning the Representativeness of Psychiatric Catamnestical Studies - The Influence of Various Approach Strategies on the Response of Former Patients
Authors: Steinhart I. , Bosch G. , Muhr Th. , Mohlfeld E.
Published: March 2018

The possible conclusions reached by catamnestical studies are often significantly restricted because of the lack of representativeness of the sample. The example of an investigation of former patients of the Department of Social Psychiatry proves that positive responses to an interview are influenced by various factors. As expected, patients were more inclined to participate in the research project the closer their discharge was to the time of the project itself. Further, it became clear that various different approach strategies, such as letters, enquiries with the registration authorities, phone calls and house visits, effectively increased the motivation of former patients, and that only this kind of graded registration procedure guarantees motivation leading to a sample representative of the total population. Personal contact plays an especially important role. These empirical findings indicate the necessity of careful planning and implementation of sample collection in catamnestical studies. Without this approach, representative results cannot be expected.
From Medical Data to Health Knowledge
Authors: Martin J. M. , Benamghar L. , Junod B. , Marrel P.
Published: March 2018

The problems of assisting in the medical decision-making process are attracting more and more attention.

Actually a certain number of computer systems have considerably improved the availability of medical data. However, we encounter some difficulties when extending these systems. In order to surmount these problems, it is necessary to proceed further in the analysis and comprehension of medical information and processes.

To accomplish this goal, it is necessary to have a better understanding of the way in which a group of medical data is derived from one piece of medical knowledge and also how a chunk of medical knowledge is related to its corresponding medical data.

This article is a beginning in the study of the transition from medical data to health knowledge, and this transition represents only part of the global entity, the nature, the representation, and use of medical information.
Bayes Theorem and Conditional Dependence of Symptoms: Different Models Applied to Data of Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding
Authors: Ohmann C. , Yang Qin , Künneke M. , Stöltzing H. , Thon K. , Lorenz W.
Published: March 2018

In computer-aided prognosis theoretical arguments in favour of a sophisticated model often do not result in a markedly better performance. In this study, straightforward extensions of the simple and comprehensive independent Bayes model, taking interactions between variables into consideration, are investigated, using a clinical data set of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, four sets of variables and different measures of performance (discriminatory ability, sharpness, reliability). For all criteria of performance, the differences between the models were small in the sets with few variables. In the sets with many variables there were marked differences between the models; however, no model was superior in all aspects of performance. Incorporation of interactions in models based upon Bayes’ theorem are worthwhile if many variables are used and the discriminatory ability is considered.
Tolerance Regions for Simplex-Valued Random Variables
Authors: Rosenkranz G.
Published: March 2018

We propose distribution-free tolerance regions for multidimensional random variables on the simplex. They are helpful when normal ranges of proportions have to be calculated. The work is motivated by the need for the statistical evaluation of findings at birth in embryotoxicologi-cal studies.
Analysis of Mortality Data due to Infectious Diseases: Life Table Methods Complementary to Direct Rates
Authors: Moussa M. A. A. , Khogali M. M. , Sugathan T. N.
Published: March 2018

Life table methods are employed complementary to standard rates to analyse Kuwaiti mortality data due to infectious diseases. The procedure comprises total mortality, multiple-decrement, cause—elimination and cause—delay life tables. To improve reliability of estimated age-specific death rates, the numerator was based on the three-year average of deaths (1981-83), while the denominator was the mid 1982 population projected from the 1980 and 1985 population censuses. To overcome the difficulty of age heaping, both mortality and census data were graduated using the natural cubic spline approach. Proportional mortality was maximum in intestinal infectious diseases particularly in the rural Jahra Governorate. Infectious diseases caused 29.4 and 37.1% of male and female deaths respectively in infancy and early childhood. The male and female life expectancy at birth were 67 and 72 years, respectively.

The multiple-decrement life tables showed that 3,346 men and 2,986 women out of the birth cohort (100,000) will ultimately die from infectious diseases. The average number of years lost due to infectious diseases were 0.75 years in both men and women. Relating this loss to the affected (saved) subpopulation only, large gains in life expectancy occur (22.3 and 25.2 years in men and women respectively).
Analysis of the Multi-Channel Epileptiform EEG Using the Markov Chains Formalism
Authors: Penczek P. , Grochulski W.
Published: March 2018

A multi-level scheme of syntactic reduction of the epileptiform EEG data is briefly discussed and the possibilities it opens up in describing the dynamic behaviour of a multi-channel system are indicated. A new algorithm for the inference of a Markov network from finite sets of sample symbol strings is introduced. Formulae for the time-dependent state occupation probabilities, as well as joint probability functions for pairs of channels, are given. An exemplary case of analysis in these terms, taken from an investigation of anticonvulsant drug effects on EEG seizure patterns, is presented.
Setting up a Decision Support System with Decision Tables
Authors: Schwarz V. , Hohenberger P. , Köhler C. O. , Schlag P.
Published: March 2018

The aim of our study was to develop a decision support system using a conventional method which can be used as a shell for different applications. So it was necessary to find a method which allows separation of decision principles and decision algorithms. In addition, documentation of the patient records should be simplified. This could be attained by using the decision table technique and the programming language MUMPS.

The general system developed was applied to the therapy decision for patients with liver metastases. The application system was clinically evaluated in a randomized group of patients. In 84% of the study group the therapy proposal of the system concurred with the therapy actually applied.

Representation of knowledge in the form of tables is easily understandable by physicians. Since decision tables can be seen as a medium of communication between physician and system manager, knowledge acquisition is simplified.
A Numerically Coded File of Operative Procedures Derived from a Free Text Data Collection System : A Measure of the Accuracy
Authors: Scudiero Carmen A. , Wong Ruth L.
Published: March 2018

A free text data collection system has been developed at the University of Illinois utilizing single word, syntax free dictionary lookup to process data for retrieval. The source document for the system is the Surgical Pathology Request and Report form. To date 12,653 documents have been entered into the system.

The free text data was used to create an IRS (Information Retrieval System) database. A program to interrogate this database has been developed to numerically coded operative procedures. A total of 16,519 procedures records were generated. One and nine tenths percent of the procedures could not be fitted into any procedures category; 6.1% could not be specifically coded, while 92% were coded into specific categories. A system of PL/1 programs has been developed to facilitate manual editing of these records, which can be performed in a reasonable length of time (1 week). This manual check reveals that these 92% were coded with precision = 0.931 and recall = 0.924. Correction of the readily correctable errors could improve these figures to precision = 0.977 and recall = 0.987. Syntax errors were relatively unimportant in the overall coding process, but did introduce significant error in some categories, such as when right-left-bilateral distinction was attempted.

The coded file that has been constructed will be used as an input file to a gynecological disease/PAP smear correlation system. The outputs of this system will include retrospective information on the natural history of selected diseases and a patient log providing information to the clinician on patient follow-up.

Thus a free text data collection system can be utilized to produce numerically coded files of reasonable accuracy. Further, these files can be used as a source of useful information both for the clinician and for the medical researcher.
An Experimental Computer Network for Mcdical Data Processing
Authors: White W. C. , Allen S. I. , Otten M. , Swarthe E.
Published: March 2018

Methods for supplying medical personnel, especially in isolated areas, with the same sophisticated medical information and computational facilities that are available in major medical centers, were investigated. Inexpensive, readily available input/output terminals, including the pushbutton telephone, were tested with several biomedical application programs. An experimental network, consisting of several independent commercial time-sharing computers linked to user terminals through a small communication control computer, was constructed to demonstrate an efficient and flexible approach to remote computer access. The communication control computer, acting as a message handling and translating interface, allowed the use of a uniform terminal control language and common data handling conventions. By linking to the most powerful commercial time-sharing systems available, a reliable medical data processing network was established without a major investment in computer hardware or system software. This experimental work is a major part of the Medical Information Telecommunication Project in the Division of Computer Research and Technology (DCRT) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Beitrag zur Literaturdokumentation mit kombiniertem Einsatz von Randund Sicht-Lochkarten
Authors: Hexte H. -J.
Published: March 2018

Das wesentliche Problem bei der Dokumentation wissenschaftlicher Literatur ist das alphabetische Sortieren nach dem Anfangsbuchstaben des ersten Autors bzw. nach mehreren Schlagworten.

Eine Lösungsmöglichkeit anhand von Kerbkarten wird dargelegt. Hierbei wird der eine Kartenrand zur Markierung und möglichen Nadelsortierung nach dem Alphabet, ein anderer Kartenrand zur Markierung einer dreistelligen Schlagwortziffer benutzt. Ein Kunstgriff, der die Zahl heraussortierter Fehlkarten bei überlagernder Markierung von 2 oder 3 Schlagwortziffern verringert, wird erläutert.

Als weitere Lösungsmöglichkeit wird die kombinierte Führung einer Literaturstellenkartei in Kombination mit einer Schlagwortkartei mit Siditlodikarten dargelegt. In der Sichtlochkartei werden die laufenden Nummern der anfallenden Literaturstellen nidit allein nach einer Ziffer, sondern nach einer Kombination von Buchstaben und Ziffern markiert. Auf diese Weise werden die nach einer laufenden Nummer sortierten LiteraturStellenkarten so weitgehend alphabetisch vorsortiert, daß es keine Mühe macht, eine Karteikarte nach dem Autor herauszusuchen. Damit ist das Ziel einer gleichzeitigen Sortierung nach dem Alphabet und nach einer beliebigen Anzahl von Schlagwörtern realisiert.
Medizinische Dokumentation und elektronische Datenverarbeitung in einem Universitätsklinikum (Planungen — Erfahrungen — Vorschläge)
Authors: Fuchs G.
Published: March 2018

Der Begriff »Krankenhausinformationssystem« wird erläutert. Bei der Übernahme von Teilaufgaben daraus auf eine elektronische Datenverarbeitung müssen eine Reihe von Vorarbeiten zur Einsatzplanung durchgeführt werden. Diese Arbeiten werden mit ihren sachlichen und zeitlichen Beziehungen in einem Netzplan dargestellt und beschrieben. In weiteren Mitteilungen werden andere Teilprobleme behandelt werden.
Gesichtspunkte beim Aufbau eines modular organisierten klinischen Datenverarbeitungssystems
Authors: überla K. , Hansen Th.
Published: March 2018

Der Rahmenplan für den Aufbau der Datenverarbeitung in den Kliniken der Universität Ulm wird beschrieben. Aus allgemeinen Anforderungen an ein klinisches Datenverarbeitungssystem wird das Konzept eines Moduls für die klinische Datenverarbeitung abgeleitet und festgelegt. Die Informationseinheit innerhalb des modular aufgebauten klinischen Datenverarbeitungssystems wird formal definiert. Elementare Vorgänge in den Moduln werden näher beschrieben. Der Modul »Patientenaufnahme und Archiv« wird in seiner Lösung für die Kliniken in Ulm bestimmt. Das Konzept eines modular aufgebauten klinischen Datenverarbeitungssystems sieht die Zusammenfassung der verschiedenen Moduln eines Klinikkomplexes durch einen Organisations- und Kommunikationsmodul vor, der die Daten umorganisiert, einen Patientenfile aufbaut, die Verwaltung und Abrechnung durchführt sowie statistische Übersichten liefert.

Von diesem modular aufgebauten Subsystem getrennt werden alle Aufgaben, die über einen historisch gewachsenen Klinikkomplex hinausgehen und die on-line-Dialogverkehr mit direktem Zugriff zu großen Dateien erfordern. Diese Aufgaben sollen für mehrere Klinikkomplexe von einem Großrechner realisiert werden, der weitgehend unabhängig von den zuerst genannten Subsystemen arbeitet.
An Automatic System for the Management of Drug-Related Literature
Authors: Lewi P. J. , Reyntjens A. , Van Gestel S.
Published: March 2018

An attempt to use an automatic system for the management of drug-related literature is described. The system, which is based on an alphabetical search technique, was designed for an IBM-1800 computer and is used for processing, storage and retrieval of pharmacological and clinical reports and publications.

The mode of input and computer procedures used are briefly reviewed.
Untersuchungen über das Entstehungsalter der Psoriasis vulgaris
Authors: Ross H. -G.
Published: March 2018

Die aufsummierten Häufigkeitsverteilungen des Beginnalters der Psoriasis vulgaris bei 457 männlichen und 506 weiblichen Patienten der Kieler Hautklinik lassen sich durch das von Kinsey, Pomeroy und Martin (16) angegebene statistische Verfahren und durch Häufigkeitsanalyse im doppelten Wahrscheinlichkeitsnetz in je zwei Teilkollektive mit Normalverteilung gliedern, deren Zentralwerte beim männlichen Geschlecht bei 27,5 und 54,5 Jahren und beim weiblichen Geschlecht bei 15,5 und 54,5 Jahren liegen. Bei der Interpretation würde man davon ausgehen müssen, daß die Erkrankungen der jüngeren Psoriatiker auf den Lebensanfang, die der älteren auf das Lebensende bezogen sein könnten. Im Vergleich mit Literaturangaben von Lomholt (17), die von uns analog verarbeitet wurden, wird vermutet, daß die Psoriasis der jüngeren Patienten möglicherweise bevorzugt als Ausdruck der ererbten Disposition, die der älteren Leute als Folge zunehmenden Altersverschleißes der Haut betrachtet werden könnte.
Ideas on the Construction of an Automated System for the Determination of Hospital Morbidity for the Public Health Services in Bulgaria
Authors: PEEVSKY T. D. , PETKOVA E. V. , BAYKUSHEV B. P. , VALOVA A. P.
Published: March 2018

As an integral part in the planning for the Unified System of Social Information in Bulgaria, a system of public health management is envisaged. One of the basic subsystems is the automated system of management and account of hospital morbidity. Its construction is preceded by a detailed analysis of the organizational and informational structure. The parameters of the incoming information are described and some of the more fundamental tables produced by the system are shown. According to the character of the information contained in the tables, the periodicity of the data processing is determined and so are the levels of administration to which it is to be sent.

We believe that, as a result of the processing of information by means of computer technique, the efficiency of management will improve on the basis of a detailed analysis of public health, the functioning and the medical activity of the health establishments.
Ein einfaches System der Dokumentation von Laboratoriumsbefunden als Beispiel einer Informationskette im Krankenhaus
Authors: BORNER K.
Published: March 2018

Es wird ein effizientes konventionelles System der Leistungsanforderung und Befundausgabe klinischchemischer Analysen beschrieben. Das System hat sich in über 3 Jahren praktischer Erprobung bewährt. Es ist unabhängig von einer EDV-Anlage, ermöglicht jedoch die Weiterverarbeitung durch eine solche.
Subjektive Wahrscheinlichkeit und Diagnose
Authors: Sadegh-zadeh K.
Published: March 2018

Aufgrund des probabilistischen Charakters des Symptom-Krankheitund Krankheit-Symptom-Zusammenliangs sind nur Wahrscheinlichkeitsdiagnosen möglich. Deshalb scheint die Optimierung der diagnostisch-therapeutischen Entscheidung die vernünftigste diagnostische Strategie zu sein. Die adäquate Realisierung dieser Strategie bedarf der Klärung des Wahrscheinlichkeitsbegriffs »p« in der Wahrscheinlichkeitsdiagnose. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird dieses Problem, das unmittelbar zu der induktiven Logik der Diagnoseentscheidung führt, diskutiert.
Investigation into Cigarette Smoking and Atmospheric Pollution in the Aetiology of Lung Cancer
Authors: Doll R.
Published: March 2018

The evidence that cigarette smoking and atmospheric pcllution are causes of lung cancer is largely statistical. The first evidence was indirect; that is, i1. was noticed that in many countries the incidence of lung cancer had increased and that the increase could be correlated with changes in the prevalence of cigarette smoking and of certain types of atmospheric pollution.

Since then much direct evidence has been obtained. The relationship between cigarette smoking and lung cancer has been demonstrated retrospectively by comparing the smoking habits of patients with and without lung cancer and prospectively by observing the mortality from lung cancer in groups of persons of known smoking habits. Conclusions can be drawn from these studies only after careful examination of the results. In particular it is important in retrospective studies to test a) the reproducibility of the data, b) the representativeness of the data, and c) the comparability of the special series and their controls. The resul1.s of retrospective studies are all similar and all show a close relationship between cigarette smoking and the disease.

The results have been confirmed by pro~pective studies which are lesF. open to bias. The results can be explained if cigarette smoking causes lung cancer or if both are related to some third common factor. Ancillary data (pathological changes in the bronchial mucosa, animal experiments, etc.) support the causal hypothesis.

The evidence relating to atmospheric pollution is less definite and it is difficult to get direct evidence of a relationship in the individual. It is clear that pollution has little effect in the absence of smoking, but the mortality associated with a given amount of smoking is generally greater in large towns than in the countryside and among men who have emigrated from Britain than among men who have lived all their lives in less polluted countries.
Use of a Digital Electronic Computer for Evaluation of Serial Clinical Observations in Patients with Acute Leukemia
Authors: Best William
Published: March 2018

A pilot program for a digital electronic computer which evaluates serial clinical observations in patients with acute leuke_mia is described. This program performs necessary computations, assigns summary designations for disease status and course of disease according to explicit criteria, and calls attention to any of many possible deviations from protocol. Details of input and out-put and specific programming methods of value in the construction of such computer programs are reviewed. More comprehensive types of analysis may also be included in such a program. If the proper electronic equipment and programming methods are available, similar techniques should prove invaluable to any large-scale cooperative clinical study.
Automated Retrieval of Autopsy Diagnose by Computer Technique
Authors: Melton J. , Smith J.
Published: March 2018

The single most important objection to conventional systems of retrieval of pathological diagnoses is that the coding must be done by hand for each record. The realization that diagnoses are regularly expressed in terms of pathologic process, anatomic site, and modifier of the process, coupled with the extraordinary manipulative capacity of the electronic computer, provides a way to eliminate hand coding of diagnoses. A machine-readable code for all diagnostic words in several autopsy reports has been formulated. By automatic translation of English words to code, and by automatic transfer of code to tape, it is possible to store and to retrieve diagnoses promptly and accurately by machine alone. It is necessary that questions be expressed in, “machine language.” Retrieval can be accomplished either on a generic or a specific basis, so that broad surveys can be made, or a single autopsy containing very specific information can be searched for.
Die Versuchsplanung bei der therapeutischen Forschung im Bereich der Arteriosklerose
Authors: Schettler G.
Published: March 2018

Die Vielfalt der ätiologischen Faktoren der Arteriosklerose und deren zum Teil noch mangelhafte Kenntnis, die Uneinheitlichkeit der Symptomatik, des Verlaufes und der Prognose erschweren die Beurteilung prophylaktischer und therapeutischer Erfolge. Erkennung und Behandlung prädisponierender Erkrankungen erlauben eine günstige Beeinflussung der Arteriosklerose. Neben der sorgfältigen Familien- und Eigenanamnese sollten zur Erfassung und Beurteilung bestimmte diagnostische Standardmethoden herangezogen werden. Die Gefäße des Augenhintergrundes lassen häufig Frühsymptome erkennen, schwieriger ist die Beurteilung zerebraler Gefäßbezirke. Für koronare Durchblutungsstörungen, Gefäßveränderungen im Bereiche der Aorta, der splanchnischen Arterien, Nierenarterien und der peripheren Gefäßbezirke wurden Verfahren entwickelt, die die Erfolgsbeurteilung erleichtern. Prophylaktische und therapeutische Maßnahmen sollten eine Normalisierung pathologischer Blutlipid- und Lipoproteidspiegel anstreben. Umfangreiche Studien mit dem Doppelblindtest über die Wirksamkeit verschiedener Medikamente haben gelehrt, daß die therapeutische Forschung auf dem Gebiete der Arteriosklerose äußerste Kritik voraussetzt.
Über therapeutische Versuchsplanungen bei der multiplen Sklerose
Authors: Welte E.
Published: March 2018

Es gibt bis heute kein Heilmittel gegen die multiple Sklerose an sich. Die Irrtümer in der Beurteilung von Arzneimittelwirkungen bei der multiplen Sklerose beruhen im wesentlichen auf 2 Faktoren: 1. die ungenügende Beachtung der Tendenz zu Spontanremissionen (namentlich der ersten Schübe) und 2. im Vergleich ganz heterogener Verlaufsformen, die an sich gar keinen Vergleich zulassen. Es werden Beispiele der Grundtendenz einzelner Verlaufsformen gezeigt. Die Symptomwert-Karte (weighting chart) von ALEXANDER wird als ein wesentliches Unterstützungsmittel beim Vergleich und der Auswertung der Befunde empfohlen. Neben diesen hauptsächlichen Irrtumsfaktoren ist die Vernachlässigung sogenannter therapeutischer Mitursachen (Massage, Ruhebehandlung etc.) eine wesentliche Fehlerquelle.
Ätiologische upd pathogenetische Untersuchungen beim Lupus vulgaris
Authors: Wagner G.
Published: March 2018

Der Lupus vulgaris — die in Mitteleuropa häufigste und soziologisch bedeutsamste Form der Hauttuberkulose — eignet sieh als Modell für ätiologische Untersuchungen insofern besonders gut, weil die Lupuskranken in Deutschland seit 1934 in zentralen Institutionen registriert werden und dadurch nahezu alle Erkrankten in der Population erfaßt und langzeitig beobachtet worden sind. Die Lupuskartei des Landes Schleswig-Holstein überwacht den Krankheitsverlauf der registrierten Kranken seit über 10 Jahren mittels des maschinellen Lochkartenverfahrens. Jeder Patient wird jährlich einmal nachuntersucht; die dabei erhobenen Befunde werden auf Lochkarten übernommen. Die chronologisch geordneten Lochkarten jedes Patienten gestatten einen genauen Uberblick über den individuellen Krankheitsverlauf.

Seitdem man erkannt hat, daß Entstehung und klinische Variabilität des tuberkulösen Geschehens nicht allein durch das bloße Vorliegen von Tuberkelbakterien hinreichend erklärt werden können, hat die Suche nach krankheitsauslösenden und den Krankheitsverlauf beeinflussenden „Mitfaktoren” erneute Aktualität gewonnen. Die eigenen diesbezüglichen Untersuchungen an über 2 000 Lupuskranken haben ergeben, daß als derartige Mitfaktoren neben dem Geschlecht gewisse exogene Momente (wie körperliche Überbeanspruchung, schlechte Ernährung, bestimmte klimatische Bedingungen und soziales Milieu), eine Rolle spielen, dagegen nicht — wie man bisher geglaubt hat — das Lebensalter. Eine vorhergehende Lymphknoten-tuberkulöse fördert ebenfalls die Entstehung eines Lupus vulgaris. Die tuberkulöse Gesamtbelastung des Organismus ist entscheidend für den Verlauf der Hauttuberkulose. Der Lupus vulgaris verkürzt an sich die Lebenserwartung nicht; die Frühsterblichkeit der Lupösen ist allein auf ihre erhöhte Sterblichkeit an Lungentuberkulose zurückzuführen. Mit den bei den internen Organtuberkulosen entwickelten immunpathologischen Vorstellungen allein läßt sich das klinische Phänomen „Lupus vulgaris” nicht ausreichend plausibel erklären.
Relevance Predictability in Information Retrieval Systems
Authors: Kent A. , Belzer J. , Kuhfeerst M. , Dym E. D. , Shirey D. L. , Bose A.
Published: March 2018

An experiment is described which attempts to derive quantitative indicators regarding the potential relevance predictability of the intermediate stimuli used to represent documents in information retrieval systems. In effect, since the decision to peruse an entire document is often predicated upon the examination of one »level of processing« of the document (e.g., the citation and/or abstract), it became interesting to analyze the properties of what constitutes »relevance«. However, prior to such an analysis, an even more elementary step had to be made, namely, to determine what portions of a document should be examined.

An evaluation of the ability of intermediate response products (IRPs), functioning as cues to the information content of full documents, to predict the relevance determination that would be subsequently made on these documents by motivated users of information retrieval systems, was made under controlled experimental conditions. The hypothesis that there might be other intermediate response products (selected extracts from the document, i.e., first paragraph, last paragraph, and the combination of first and last paragraph), that would be as representative of the full document as the traditional IRPs (citation and abstract) was tested systematically. The results showed that:

1. there is no significant difference among the several IRP treatment groups on the number of cue evaluations of relevancy which match the subsequent user relevancy decision on the document;

2. first and last paragraph combinations have consistently predicted relevancy to a higher degree than the other IRPs;

3. abstracts were undistinguished as predictors; and

4. the apparent high predictability rating for citations was not substantive.

Some of these results are quite different than would be expected from previous work with unmotivated subjects.
Computer Analyses in Preventive Health Research
Authors: Collen M. F.
Published: March 2018

The utilization of an automated multitest laboratory as a data acquisition center and of a computer for trie data processing and analysis permits large scale preventive medical research previously not feasible. Normal test values are easily generated for the particular population studied. Long-term epidemiological research on large numbers of persons becomes practical. It is our belief that the advent of automation and computers has introduced a new era of preventive medicine.
J 5 — A Data Processing System for Medical Information
Authors: Hall P. , Mellner Ch. , Danielsson T.
Published: March 2018

A system for medical information has been developed. The system is a general and flexible one which without reprogramming or new programs can accept any alphabetic and/or numeric information. Coded concepts and natural language can be read, stored, decoded and written out. Medical records or parts of records (diagnosis, operations, therapy, laboratory tests, symptoms etc.) can be retrieved and selected. The system can process simple statistics but even make linear pattern recognition analysis.

The system described has been used for in-patients, outpatients and individuals in health examinations.

The use of computers in hospitals, health examinations or health care systems is a problem of storing information in a general and flexible form. This problem has been solved, and now it is possible to add new routines like booking and follow-up-systems. •
Psychiatric Interview Simulation by Computer
Authors: Starkweather J. A. , Kamp M. , Monto A.
Published: March 2018

A particularly interesting form of computer simulation may be undertaken when it is possible to arrange real-time interaction between a computer program and a human subject. A program can be written to play the part of an interviewer who is engaged in information gathering for diagnostic purposes. In this respect it can imitate a sequential decision process analogous to that of medical diagnosis by a clinician. On the other hand, it can play the part of a patient and act as a repository of information which can provide practice in interviewing. The writing of such interaction programs by those with clinical skills is made possible by an appropriate programming language oriented to this class of problems.

The paper describes such a programming language, called COMPUTEST, and its use for the programmed simulation of both physician and patient behavior in the context of an initial psychiatric interview.
Conceptual Indexing and Retrieval of Current Research Records: An Analysis of Problems and Progress in a Large Scale Information System
Authors: Hersey D. F. , Foster W. R. , Snyderman M. , Kreysa F. J.
Published: March 2018

Methods developed for handling information on research, in progress in an organization (SIE) with a background of 20 years of service to the research scientist and administrator are described in detail, along with problems which have been encountered. The rationale for the selection of those methods of indexing and retrieval which have proven useful over the period of experience is discussed.
Erfahrungen mit einer Dokumentationsmaschine (K 600) in der Klinik
Authors: Reissner I.
Published: March 2018

Die Umwandlung von Maschinenlochkarten in ein anderes Kartenformat bereitet bei Benutzung der Maschinenkombination KLEMT K600 keine Schwierigkeiten, sofern der Kartenlocher über einen 80-stelligen, alphanumerischen Speicher verfügt. Die Umwandlung ist nicht in einer der drei Maschinen (Schreibeinheit, Kartenleser, Kartenlocher) allein vorzunehmen; man benötigt die gesamte Kombination. Jede der drei Maschinen ist für den Umwandlungsprozeß gesondert programmiert (Programmtafel). Der Ablauf des Prozesses ist in zwei hintereinanderliegende Abschnitte geteilt:

1. Tabellierung der Daten der Ursprungskarte mit Hilfe von Leser und Schreibeinheit. Gleichzeitig werden die bereits veränderten Daten in den Speicher des Lochers eingegeben.

2. Versetztes Ablochen der Daten im Locher aus- dem Speicher. Gleichzeitig können nochmals Daten eingeführt oder verändert werden.

Die Maschinenkombination wird so weit beschrieben, daß einige Eigenschaften, besonders die zur Umwandlung nötigen Programmierungen und die vielseitigen Anwendungsmöglichkeiten der K600 verstanden werden können.
TABTRAN: A Computer Language for Tabulation and Analysis of Data in the Medical, Biological, and Social Sciences
Authors: Best W. R.
Published: March 2018

Investigators in the medical, biological, and social sciences often require tabulations or other analyses of punched card data from multiple fields of variable length. An appropriate computer language was needed which they could easily learn and apply. TABTRAN, an augmented sub-set of FORTRAN, was developed to facilitate tabulation, cross-tabulation, and manipulation of quantitative data from punched cards. Card*, column notation, a natural concomitant of individual coding systems, is utilized. TABTRAN offers increased power in logical branching and conversion of calendar dates. Some otherwise involved aspects of programming are automatically performed. A compiler-interpreter, developed for the IBM 1620 computer, has successfully implemented such medical data analyses.
Fachzeitschrift und Literaturdokumentation
Authors: Witzel A.
Published: March 2018

Die Literaturdokumentation könnte wesentlich gefördert werden, wenn die Verlage bei der Gestaltung von Zeitschriften auf die Belange der Dokumentation mehr Rücksicht nehmen würden. Wünschenswert wäre dabei eine Beschränkung der Zeitschriftenformate auf die Größen DIN A 4 und DIN A 5, eine Vereinheitlichung der Satzspiegelgrößen und Kolumnenbreiten, eine klare, gleichbleibende Gliederung und eine die Lesbarkeit fördernde Typographie. Die vollständigen bibliographischen Angaben sollten auf allen Seiten eines Heftes, bei jeder selbständigen Publikation, in den Inhaltsverzeichnissen, Referaten und bei den Separata zu finden sein. Die Inhaltsverzeichnisse sollten geschlossen an einer Stelle zum Abdruck kommen. Begrüßenswert wäre die Wiedergabe der Zusammenfassungen der in einem Heft erscheinenden Originalarbeiten vor dem Originalienteil. Die Originalarbeiten sollten nach Möglichkeit jeweils auf einer neuen Seite beginnen, die einleitenden Angaben (Titel, Bibliographie und Zusammenfassung) sollten nicht auf zwei Seiten auseinandergerissen werden. Die Vereinheitlichung der Formate erlaubte einen Austausch von fertigen Sätzen — gematert, als Lochstrei-’ fen oder Film — zwischen den einzelnen Zeitschriften und damit eine schnelle und rationelle Verbreitung des Wissens.
Heilkunde und Statistik — Mensch und Zahl
Authors: Griesser G.
Published: March 2018

Heilkunde und Statistik sind zwei nur scheinbar gegensätzliche Begriffe. Geht man den Gründen für die im Kreise der Ärzte verbreitete Ablehnung der Statistik als Arbeitsmethode nach, dann läßt sich zeigen, daß eine der Hauptursachen hierfür in der Verkennung ihres Wesens und ihrer Aussagemöglichkeiten liegt.

Die Betrachtung der Krankheit als ein Massenphänomen ist in der Medizin viel weiter verbreitet, als dies bei einer oberflächlichen Beurteilung den Anschein hat. Dies gilt sowohl für den Inklusions- wie für den Repräsentationsschluß als Mittel zur Gewinnung neuer Erkenntnisse.

Im Rahmen der Planung und Ausführung eines »Versuches« kommt der Auswahl und Definition der Erhebungsmerkmale eine ebenso große Bedeutung zu wie der formalen mathematisch-statistischen Bewertung und der sachlogisch richtigen Interpretation der gewonnenen Rechenergebnisse. Als wesentlich erscheint die Kenntnis der Fehlermöglichkeiten, die sich nicht durch die »große Fallzahl« allein ausmerzen lassen. Die große Variabilität menschlicher Kollektive läßt sich mittels der Stichprobenmethodik und durch die Verwendung modemer Dokumentationsmethoden und den Einsatz elektronischer Rechenanlagen berücksichtigen und beherrschen. Auf diese Weise können weitreichende Aufschlüsse über bisher unbekannte Zusammenhänge gewonnen werden.
The Adaptation of Medical Records to Epidemiological Use
Authors: Jeanty Cl
Published: March 2018

A method is described in an attempt to make medical records suitable for epidemiologigri: purposes. Every case of a disease is recorded on an appropriate punched card with the object of working towards a general description of a disease through the collation of several cases of the same diagnosis. This punched card represents a very great condensation of the original record. Special care has been applied to state as precisely as possible the time variable, particularly as far as its origin and unit of measure are concerned, in order to demonstrate the existence of causal relations between diseases. Such cards are also intended to make easier statistical studies in clinical pathology, in evaluation of new laboratory techniques, and in therapeutical trials.
Multidimensional Analysis of Lung Function Data
Authors: Louton T. , Fischer J. , Schloms M.
Published: March 2018

The expiratory lung function, viz PF, FVC, FEV0.5, FEV1 & FEV3, of 627 male and 438 female (aged over 25) visitors at a health fair, was measured with a spirotone. From these measurements, linear regression equations were computed, thus estimating the lung function, given age and height. The adequacy of the estimation as well as the variance structure of the errors was carefully studied. The importance of the independence of the 5-dimensional variance structure from age and height is explained in relation to the proposed use of the model. The regression equations seem to be adequate estimators and the variance structure of the errors is evidently independent of age and height.
Ein Programm zur Diagnosenverschlüsselung im Dialogverkehr
Authors: Haase J. , Klar R. , Pietrzyk P.
Published: March 2018

Zur Unterstützung der Diagnosendokumentation bieten sieh die Methoden der Klartextverarbeitung oder der Verschlüsselung an. Die Klartextverarbeitimg mit ihren Problemen, vor allem im multi-disziplinären Einsatz, erscheint der Diagnosenverschlüsselung noch nicht überlegen. Es wurde daher eine EDV-gestützte Diagnosenverschlüsselung in Form eines Bildschirmdialogs entwickelt, die den ICD-kompatiblen »Klinischen Diagnosenschlüssel« (KDS) mit einer Erweiterung durch ein Suffix und eine Synonymkennimg benutzt. Die frei eingegebenen Diagnosentexte werden von Stop Wörtern befreit und aus den übrigen Wörtern die ersten fünf Zeichen (Infix) als Suchmerkmale in einer Datenbank genutzt. Alle im KDS enthaltenen Diagnosen, die die gesuchten Infixe enthalten, werden zur Auswahl mit dem Lichtstift am Bildschirm angeboten. Zur hierfür benötigten Schnittmengenbildung wird ein schnelles Direktzugriffsverfahren eingesetzt. Im KDS fehlende Diagnosen können vorläufig verschlüsselt und anschließend ergänzt werden. Blättern, Korrigieren und Direkteingabe einer bekannten Schlüsselausprägung des klinischen Diagnosenschlüssels sind möglich. Das Programm ist Teil eines umfassenden Informationssystems für ein Großklinikum.
Formal Error Rate in a Computerized Obstetric Medical Record
Authors: Jelovsek F. , Hammond W.
Published: March 2018

Missing and incompatible data rates in a computerized obstetric medical record are described and range from 0-84% with a median of 6%. Comparison is made to previous manual records and missing data rates appear to be similar. Certain unique characteristics of each variable checked (logistical problems, data sheet format, and low frequency, expected positive response) seem to have a stronger influence on the missing rate than do categories of time collected, source, type and transmission mode. There is bias in missing rates according to different patient types, but incompatible data rates appear not to be influenced.
Mini-Computer-based Appointment Scheduling for Ambulatory Patients)
Authors: Ratzer G. , Fletoher Suzanne W. , Pollack M. , Fletcher H.
Published: March 2018

A fast, reliable and flexible appointment system is essential for ambulatory medical care facilities attempting to provide high quality medical care; computerization has helped meet these objectives. To date, however, central computing facilities have been used. These have been too expensive for widespread use, and their programs have not included specific features necessary to improve the quality of patient care. To overcome these limitations, a system was designed which can be implemented on a mini-computer, and which incorporates a variety of capabilities promoting personalized medical care in a busy clinic environment. This on-line system potentially can handle up to 250,000 patient visits/ year.

Three files store the necessary data base: a patient file, an appointment file, and a physican file. Simple commands and special access techniques are used. In addition to on-line appointment making, confirming and cancelling functions, the system can communicate with patients of several languages; send reminder postcards; promote continuity of care by keeping track of which patients belong to each physician; enable each physician to determine his own clinic schedule routine; and provide physicians with master lists of their patients, including address, telephone number, and summaries of important medical information.

The development of automated appointment systems on mini-computers permits widespread implementation in ambulatory medical care.
The Measurement of Performance in Probabilistic Diagnosis
Authors: Habbbma J. D. F. , Hilden J. , Bjerregaard B.
Published: March 2018

Owing to the inherent uncertainty of diagnostic tasks, diagnostic advice should be offered in a probabilistic, rather than deterministic form. Since the late fifties a lot of effort has been invested in constructing probabilistic diagnosis rules. Much less has been done to devise rational tools for evaluating them; conventional error rates reflect but one aspect of performance in a rather crude way. The aim of this paper and its successors is to offer a body of evaluation tools. After defining a general framework and stating its limitations we apply some graphical techniques to the acute abdominal pain data that will serve as illustration in the next papers as well: dot diagrams, the triangular diagram for the three-disease case, and three tabular representations based 011 categorization of the probabilities, viz. the usual (forced) classification matrix, from which various classification rates are read off; the classification matrix with doubt, in which uncertain and confident diagnoses are distinguished; and the exclusion matrix, which spots diseases that are judged improbable. Together these matrices give a good first impression of the behaviour of a probabilistic diagnosis system. The outlined techniques of later papers are needed for a more complete analysis.
Aussagekraft von Schuleingangsuntersuchungen
Authors: Schlinkmann K. , Meyer F. , Mikolajczyk R. , Stich H. L.
Published: March 2018

Im Rahmen der Schuleingangsuntersuchungen des Jahres 2010 im niederbayerischen Landkreis Dingolfing-Landau wurden beschulungsrelevante Kompetenzen aus zwölf Teilbereichen standardisiert überprüft. Nach Beendigung der vierjährigen Grundschulphase wurden die Eltern und die Kinder dieser Einschulungskohorte zum bisherigen Schulerfolg befragt. Von den 789 Vorschulkindern haben 380 (52,7 %) an der Befragung teilgenommen. Es zeigten sich Zusammenhänge zwischen Entwicklungsauffälligkeiten aus dem Teilbereich des Grammatismus mit schlechten Schulnoten im Fach „Deutsch”, aus der Kalkulie im Fach „Mathematik” und aus der Grobmotorik im Fach „Sport”. Zudem waren grundsätzlich eine hohe Spezifität, eine moderate Sensitivität und ein moderater positiver prädiktiver Wert für die Entwicklungsauffälligkeiten in Hinblick auf den schulischen Erfolg festzustellen.

Zum einen deutete die moderate Sensitivität auf die Möglichkeit hin, dass auch psychosoziale und primär soziale Einflussfaktoren zum schlechten Outcome führen können, und zum anderen war die hohe Spezifität konsistent mit der Zielstellung, das Vorliegen von Entwicklungsauffälligkeiten als Ursache späteren Schulmisserfolges auszuschließen.
Computer-assisted Diagnosis of Dyspepsia — Report on Transferability of a System, with Emphasis on Early Diagnosis of Gastric Cancer
Authors: Zoltie N. , Horrocks J. C. , de Dombal F. T.
Published: March 2018

This paper reports a retrospective study of computer-assisted diagnosis of 86 cases of >dyspepsia< in Bristol, England; the computer-assisted diagnosis making use of a database provided by 360 patients from Leeds, England. The computer’s diagnostic prediction proved to be correct in 63 out of the 86 cases — an overall accuracy of 73.3%. The system correctly diagnosed 14 out of 18 cases of gastric cancer (77.8%) at the expense of only three false positives.

These results (1) confirm that gastric cancer can be diagnosed in most cases on the history alone; (2) suggest that this method of assisting diagnosis can be transferred successfully to different localities without loss of accuracy; and (3) indicate that a detailed structured computer-assisted analysis of the patient’s symptoms may be of value in selecting high-risk patients for intensive investigation.
Misleading Data Bases: An Example from Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Pliskin J. S.
Published: March 2018

In recent years, transplantation survival data have also been documented by whether the patient was nephrectomized or not. Certain conclusions were drawn from the data but the inference contains serious errors in interpretation. This paper attempts to point these errors out, investigate their source, and suggest guidelines for creating a data base from which meaningful conclusions can be drawn. The discussion may be generalized to many other data bases in the medical field.
PaperChase: Computerized Bibliographic Retrieval to Answer Clinical Questions
Authors: Horowitz G. L. , Jackson J. D. , Bleich H. L.
Published: March 2018

PaperChase is a computerized bibliographic retrieval system that permits users without previous training to search the medical literature themselves at any time of the day or night. The database for PaperChase consists of approximately 425,000 references from 258 journals dating back eight years—nearly all the references shelved in the library of our hospital. In its first year of deployment, 1,032 users conducted 8,459 searches, during which they displayed 399,821 references and selected 97,869 of them for printing. The most common reason for using PaperChase is to answer a question of medical importance. As the results of the search are displayed, the titles of the retrieved references flash by; often one or more of them contain a declarative medical statement that answers the question of interest. To facilitate rapid review of these medical statements, we provided a new means to display references—just the titles, but four at a time. Examples are given which illustrate how users of PaperChase can find what they are looking for without consulting bound volumes.