Computers in Use - Design of a System for the Study of a Chronic Disease

Abstract

This paper will show how a conventional commercial method of data processing, using a mini computer, can be applied to establish a computerized system for the study of a chronic disease. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a long term disorder whose cause and cure are unknown (Thayer, 1980). IBD is usually diagnosed sometime between the patient's late teens and early thirties, and lasts for the duration of the person's life (Grace & Priest, 192). Dealing with a chronic disease like IBD highlights the necessity for using modern technology to increase the available body of knowledge about it. Using the proposed method in nursing practice will place the nurse in the role of data collector, user of technology, and key person for future scientific study. The method describes the logical and technical development of a system, excluding details about programming and actual file creation on the computer. The proposed system consits of four parts: a permanent file, an update file, an index file, and an output or access to the file.