title: From mainframe to micro: decentralization of perinatal epidemiology.
abstract: To evaluate the feasibility of analyzing large perinatal datasets on smaller computers, the 1980 National Natality Survey was downloaded first to a minicomputer and then to a microcomputer. Operating system utilities were used to minimize programming and storage requirements. Accuracy was confirmed by comparing descriptive statistics with published values derived on mainframes. Based on a typical analytic problem, implementation on the microcomputer compared favorably to implementation on the minicomputer. Our results suggest that the microcomputer may be a practical alternative to the mainframe for perinatal epidemiological analysis.
authors.affiliation: Wayne State University, Hutzel Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Bottoms
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tse
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chik
mesh_terms: D003201:Computers; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008492:Medical Informatics Computing; D008838:Microcomputers; D008905:Minicomputers; D010500:Perinatology / Q000379:methods*