[Using a computer for accessing information in environmental medicine].
Decisions or statements about the health effects of "pollutants" are often based on not exactly known exposure conditions and/or doubtful cause-effect relationships. Even searches in international databases will not always give adequate answers or produce new problems for the specialist in environmental medicine because the information may be contradictory or leave a wide scope for interpretation, perhaps requiring detailed specialized knowledge (e.g. mutagenicity testing, immunotoxicological parameters etc.). In situations like these, inter-disciplinary working is the mandatory condition. Therefore electronic communication systems might be used to resolve problems, because they provide access to well-presented knowledge of competent colleagues. However, the fundamental concept of such mailbox system for environmental medicine requires active participation by all its users who should contribute to its files and not remain passive, i.e. only call for information.
Kaiser
U
U
Robert Koch-Institut, Berlin.
Otto
M
M
D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008838:Microcomputers; D011634:Public Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012984:Software
Computereinsatz zur Informationsbeschaffung in der Umweltmedizin.