MEDIC: An on Site Designed Data Management System for Cardiology

Abstract

A patient-oriented data management system is described. The environment was cardiology with a heavy emphasis on research and the MEDIC system was designed to meet the day to day program needs. The data are organized in speciality files with dynamic patient records composed of subrecords of different types. The schema is described by a data definition language. Application packages include data quality control, medical reporting and general inquiry.After five years of extensive use in various clinical applications, its utility has been assessed as well as its low cost. The disadvantages, the main being the multifile structure, can now be stated as its advantages, like data independence and performance increase. Although the system is now partially outdated, the experience acquired with its use becomes very helpful in the selection process of the future database management system.