A prototype of an information system for assessing the health status of prison inmates.
A research-action program was established in 1996 between the Loos-Lez-Lille prison psychiatric unit and the Department of Medical Informatics of the University Hospital of Lille (France):--(1) to investigate the health status and the general characteristics of the prison population--(2) to develop an Information System for improving the prison health care and to facilitate social rehabilitation of convicts. Starting off 1988, all new prisoners are interviewed on their arrival using a standard questionnaire. The transfer of all the information recorded in this questionnaire into a computer base was initiated in 1996, when the research action program began. A statistical analysis was performed on 15,200 records (1989-1995) to identify the most informative parameters: 50% of inmates were less than 24 years old; 57% were unemployed; 60% had no professional qualification. 31% of inmates had a psychiatric history and 16% had made a previous suicide attempt. The rate of drug abuse has increased from 24% in 89 to 53% in 95. To analyze the time trends of these parameters, a prototype of Information System was then developed. The system uses the database to product standard reports in real time.
Duhamel
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A
Department of Medical Informatics, CHRU Lille, France.
Archer
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E
Devos
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P
Nuttens
M C
MC
Beuscart
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R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019992:Databases as Topic; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D019451:Information Management; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011329:Prisoners; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational; D012985:Software Design