To select a suitable group, patients are filtered on the basis of their disease characteristics, demographics and availability to give either a subset of patients who correspond to a combination of target qualities, or to give two matched but contrasting subsets with differing characteristics. As data is gathered on the subjects, databases are constructed to keep the data in order, and to make sure that the data is being collected in a regular and uniform way. Finally, the Database can be used to calculate various values from the raw data, and to export data to other computerised applications that can statistically analyse the results. I am also in charge of setting up this website. It would be nice to have your views on web page design.
Plain text is informative, and probably dull.
However the trade offs are speed of display, and the text-only pages are much more efficient, if just a few easily digestible bits of information are presented on each page. Personally, I feel somewhat cheated by a website that gives only minimal information, but those sites linked to related newsgroups are much more interesting, since you often can browse until you have had enough, and come back another day. Your comments and the possibility of setting up a connective tissues disease newsgroup would be appreciated.