A computerized recall system for clinical trials.
A major difficulty facing investigators involved in clinical studies is ensuring the timely follow-up of patients involved in the investigations. Two microcomputer programs are described that create a follow-up calendar for each subject, list patients due to appear for any given month, and generate printouts of subjects who have missed key follow-up appointments. These programs were formulated using dBASE II (Ashton Tate, California), a widely used data base management package suitable for International Business Machines-compatible microcomputers. The programming concept used in formulating these programs can be adapted to most other data base management software systems. These programs are currently enhancing the follow-up of patients enrolled in a prospective ophthalmic surgical protocol and are potentially useful to any investigator involved in prospective studies who has access to a microcomputer.
Fulcher
S F
SF
Clinical Investigation Center, Naval Hospital, Oakland, California.
Burris
T E
TE
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D003201:Computers; D003628:Database Management Systems; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012984:Software