OBJECTIVE: To study the implementation of electronic guidelines designed for general practitioners (GPs). DESIGN: A descriptive 3-year follow-up study. SUBJECTS: All new subscribers to Physician's Desk Reference and Database (PDRD) in 1992. SETTING: Locations of computers, where PDRD software was installed for the first time in 1992. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ...

BACKGROUND: Computers and other forms of information technology are increasingly used in medical education. We undertook a study to evaluate the place of the computer in the assessment of clinical skills of junior medical students. METHODS: The history taking and physical examination skills of 136 third-year students were assessed in ...

A dose-volume histogram (DVH) computation program was developed for brachytherapy treatment planning in an attempt to benefit from the DVH's ability to present graphically information on 3D dose distributions. The program is incorporated into a planning system that utilizes a pair of orthogonal radiographs to localize the radiation sources. DVHs ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate a computer program to predict the pseudophakic refraction of a child at any age. SETTING: A pediatric ophthalmology practice. METHODS: A computer program was written for Windows 95 that calculates the initial postoperative pseudophakic refraction of a child using Holladay's formula, given the axial length and keratometry ...

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this paper are to review the development and impact of computer assisted learning (CAL) in dentistry with emphasis on the UK. DATA SOURCES: This is a wide ranging review of dental, medical and technical literature. STUDY SELECTION: An attempt has been made to evaluate present knowledge ...

Academic computing initiatives rank high on the list of priorities of many dental schools. However, outcomes of academic computing initiatives have not been presented. The objectives of this program evaluation were to: 1) document a strategic initiative for academic computing over a five-year period; 2) assess outcomes; and 3) demonstrate ...

For the past several years a dialogue has been taking place in the offices, lounges, and meeting rooms of medical schools about whether medical students should be required to bring or purchase computers when they enter school. Microcomputers offer educators a unique opportunity to provide students with access to computer-assisted ...

This paper discusses a new method for locating errors in diagnostic computer scoring programs for structured clinical interviews. It was proposed as a test of the accuracy of the scoring program for the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, version 1.1. The proposal was to create an independent scoring program in a ...

A new personal computer (PC) radiotherapy treatment planning system (RTPS) is presented. The PC-based RTPS is designed to run in the Microsoft Windows 3.11 environment (and later versions), for computers equipped with 486 or Pentium processors. The algorithm used by the new PC-based program for dose calculation belongs to the ...

The increased use of digital processing techniques in Medical Radiations imaging modalities, along with the rapid advance in information technology has resulted in a significant change in the delivery of radiographic teaching programs. This paper details a methodology used to concurrently educate radiographers in both computer programming and image processing. ...

OBJECTIVE: To develop and present computer-aided instructional resources via the Internet, intranets, and desktop computers to augment pathology education. DESIGN: World Wide Web sites available via Internet access and a CD-ROM for intranets. SETTING: The University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City. RESULTS: A comprehensive set of gross ...

BACKGROUND: A computer-based learning package has been developed, aimed at expanding students' knowledge base, as well as improving data-handling abilities and clinical problem-solving skills. The program was evaluated by monitoring its use by students, canvassing users' opinions and measuring its effectiveness as a learning tool compared to tutorials on the ...

The millennium bug arises because up to the 1980s computers were programmed to represent years by the last two digits only. So, when the millennium arrives, programmes which represent the year 2000 as 00 will be unable to make the transition from 1999 into the 21st century. Such programs have ...

Recent advances in personal computer hardware and software have pushed the graphic capacity of these easier to use and, more importantly, cheaper computers to a level approximating the current standard of high end workstations. The interactivity and graphic complexity of a modern PC is rapidly approaching the current standard on ...

"The need to cope with a changing and partly unpredictable world makes it very likely that any intelligent system with multiple motives and limited powers will have emotions." [1] From advisory systems that understand emotional attitudes toward medical outcomes, to wearable computers that compensate for communication disability, to computer simulations ...

The trends towards minimally invasive surgery coupled with the increasing use of computer software and hardware have led to an increasing use of stereotactic neurosurgery as a part of mainstream neurosurgery. Computer-assisted and frameless stereotactic systems allow the performance of stereotactic procedures without the need for the mechanical linkage to ...

This article is a discussion of how a prototype Computer-based Training (CBT) program module was developed by a team of people representing different nationalities and from various professions including nursing, engineering, and medical graphics. Multimedia solutions that would facilitate the training of Marine corpsmen to perform their mission as first ...

Regional organ blood flow (RBF) is spatially heterogeneous. Relative dispersion (standard deviation S.D./mean) is often used to assess heterogeneity of RBF. Relative dispersion is a global measure of heterogeneity and is strongly influenced by the tissue sample size making comparisons between research groups inappropriate. Spatial correlation (s.c.) of blood flow ...

With the explosion of computerization, it appears that the business community is switching to computer-based presentations, projecting onto a screen directly from a computer, instead of the old standard of presenting with slides. However, the dental profession has been slow to follow. Although some speakers have switched to computer-based presentations, ...

A computational program which compares the effciencies of different experimental designs with those of maximum precision (D-optimized designs) is described. The program produces confidence interval plots for a calibration curve and provides information about the number of standard solutions, concentration levels and suitable concentration ranges to achieve an optimum calibration. ...

A review of 6938 computer-generated electrocardiogram interpretations was undertaken by a single cardiologist. The computer-assisted program correctly interpreted 51.6% of the tracings. One or more corrections were necessary in 48.4%. The greatest number of incorrect interpretations involved repolarization (T wave) abnormalities, followed by ST segment changes. It is mandatory that ...

This study compared student perceptions and learning outcomes of computer-assisted instruction against those of traditional didactic lectures. Components of Quantitative Circulatory Physiology (Biological Simulators) and Mechanical Properties of Active Muscle (Trinity Software) were used to teach regulation of tissue blood flow and muscle mechanics, respectively, in the course Medical Physiology. ...

PURPOSE: To test a computer-based method of in-course assessment for a modular, systems-oriented medical curriculum at the University of Otago Medical School. METHOD: For the in-course assessment in anatomic pathology, 193 students completed five biweekly (i.e., every two weeks), criterion-referenced, computer-based quizzes incorporating many digitized photographs and a variety of ...

A convolution program (CONV) solving responses to a collimated finite diameter photon beam perpendicularly incident on a multi-layered tissue has been coded in ANSI Standard C, hence, the program can be executed on various computers. The program, employing an extended trapezoidal rule for integration, convolves the responses to an infinitely ...

Until recently, kinetic modeling of peritoneal dialysis (PD) was performed by engineers, scientists, or nephrologists at major teaching institutions. Now there are several "user-friendly" computer programs which permit the practicing nephrologist and dialysis staff to monitor adequacy of the individual PD patient and to optimize the dialysis prescription. In this ...

Hypertext is a non-linear method of text presentation. It necessitates the use of a computer to store data as a series of nodes that can be called up in any desired sequence and, as such, is a new form of discovery-based learning. This paper describes a Hypertext tutorial in cephalometrics ...

Recent advances in computer technology have led to the creation and development of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) programs, which are rapidly assuming a prominent role in both medical and nonmedical education. The development process includes defining objectives, identifying the target audience, assembling the design team, selecting compatible hardware and software, optimizing ...

This article highlights the process of establishing a computerized scheduling and materials management system in a surgical department. The following facets of the computerization process are discussed: options staff members should consider when choosing a computer system, the importance of scheduling and inventory control, cost savings, how computer systems work ...

SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) has recently become popular, as it makes working at home possible. Computers or Local Area Networks(LAN) connected to the office network from home are necessary for the implementation of this concept. Kyushu University has begun a service connecting home computers to the campus LAN for researchers, ...

BACKGROUND: Advanced practice nurses (APNs) tested a 5-contact hour home-study computer assisted instructional (CAI) program in pharmacokinetics developed by the author. METHOD: Twenty-seven APNs enrolled in a traditional lecture continuing education course in pharmacology participated in the study. The APNs were given a knowledge test and self-efficacy questionnaire before using ...

Degenerate primers or probes have been widely used in molecular cloning, but the calculation of their melting temperatures could not simply be done using thermodynamic parameters because of degeneracy and the lack of a computer program. We present here a simple computer program named dPrimer for the calculation of melting ...

The increasing number of pollutants in the environment raises the problem of the toxicological risk evaluation of these chemicals. Several so called expert systems (ES) have been claimed to be able to predict toxicity of certain chemical structures. Different approaches are currently used for these ES, based on explicit rules ...

The objective of the study was to assess the attitude of Edinburgh University medical students towards computers and to evaluate the effects of changes in the curriculum and intercalated BSc towards computer knowledge. During March to November 1995 a questionnaire was distributed in lectures, seminars and tutorials to all Edinburgh ...

Academic advising is an essential part of any university degree program and becomes especially important in programs where there is competitive and limited admission to professional courses. This requires that academic advisors have ready access to student scholastic and demographic data for counseling and statistical purposes. The use of computers ...

MOTIVATION: The derivation of steady-state equations is frequently carried out in enzyme kinetic studies. Done manually, this becomes tedious and prone to human error. The computer programs now available which are able to accept reaction mechanisms of some complexity are focused only on the strict steady-state approach. RESULTS: Here we ...

RESICALC is a computer program that models magnetic fields due to currents on arbitrary arrays and configurations of electric transmission lines, primary and secondary distribution lines, and ground and neutral return pathways. The program conducts network analyses of ground/neutral currents in neighborhoods based on residential loads and impedances in the ...

An automated radiopharmaceutical dispenser, that offers several advantages over manual procedures, has been developed. It employs a personal computer interfaced to a precision syringe drive module, a dose calibrator, and a printer. The operating program provides menu-selection operation and documentation of procedures and individual doses delivered. All materials in contact ...

Beginning dental students normally receive their first exposure to the study of tooth forms (morphology) through a dental anatomy laboratory course in which they are required to reproduce tooth morphology, usually with wax. The fabrication of a tooth in wax requires proper visual recognition skills and fine eye-hand coordination. Many ...

This paper presents the results of a brief study of Northern Ireland nurse educators' perceptions of information technology (IT) in nurse education. The study focuses on training, computer use, student assessment, and future trends. The results indicate that although there remain tutors who have not received any formal training in ...

This article describes the development, field testing, and evaluation of an interactive computer program, "Life Challenge," developed by the New York State Department of Health as a tool for enhancing adolescents' sense of self-efficacy in HIV/AIDS prevention programs. The computer kiosks were field tested in 13 sites serving high-risk adolescents. ...

CBT (computer-based training) applications and hypermedia publications are two different approaches to the utilisation of computers in medical education. Medical CBT software continues to play a minor role in spite of the increasing availability, whereas hypermedia have become very popular through the World Wide Web (WWW). Based on the HTML ...

POLYAN, a computer program based on a point-and-click graphical user interface for easy and efficient polyparametric analysis of cardio-respiratory variability signals is described. The main tasks performed by the package are: univariate and bivariate spectral analysis on selected portions of the signals with the computation of some clinically relevant indices ...

In order to enhance students' active thinking, faculty members at International University of Health and Welfare developed the CAT (Computer Assisted Thinking) program. The CAT program is different from CAI (Computer Assisted Instruction), which mainly asks users to choose correct answers. Instead, the CAT program asks users to type in ...

The constantly changing world of technology creates excitement and an obligation for faculty of schools of nursing to address computer literacy in the curricula at all levels. The initial step in the process of meeting the goals was to assist the faculty in becoming computer literate so that they could ...

Publishers are preparing for the hitech future and authors and editors need to also. Publishers know that book sales may be down in the future, while computer program sales are expected to increase. Most book publishers have added media divisions to position themselves for the future. Authors and editors can ...

This paper presents an algorithm for constructing and training a class of higher-order perceptrons for classification problems. The method uses linear programming models to construct and train the net. Its polynomial time complexity is proven and computational results are provided for several well-known problems. In all cases, very small nets ...

Computers and information technology are increasingly used by pathologists, necessitating training in such technology in pathology residency programs. We surveyed 176 programs in the United States and Canada to assess informatics training in terms of instructional methods used, computer availability, and type of training offered. Eighty-four programs replied, for a ...

A novel system composed of multiple von Neumann computers and an appropriate problem environment is proposed and simulated. Each computer has a memory to store the machine instruction program, and when a program is executed, a series of machine codes in the memory is sequentially decoded, leading to register operations ...

An efficient Statistical Analysis System computer program for the exact stratification of person-years is described, in order to determine the expected number of deaths or cases of diseases in a cohort for the calculation of standardized mortality ratios or standardized morbidity ratios. A comparison of this program with Macaluso's "Method ...

A prototype electronic science textbook for secondary education was developed to help bridge the gap between state-of-the-art medical technology and the basic science classroom. The prototype combines the latest in radiologic imaging techniques with a user-friendly multimedia computer program to teach the anatomy, physiology, and diseases of the gastrointestinal (GI) ...