The Place of the Minicomputer in Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Computers of all sizes have been widely used in biomedical research for many years. We are now on the threshold of extensive computer usage in clinical medicine. There has been a great deal of debate between advocates of large central computers serving many areas of the hospital versus those who favor many small local computers.

In some situations, such as monitoring, mini-computers answer the need. In others, such as the hospital data bank, large machines make better economic sense. In some diagnositc situations, either might be used, and we discuss the trade-offs involved, and review the important features of a small computer system from the point of view of a hospital considering such a purchase. Important points include initial cost, on-going costs, software availability, compatible medical equipment, reliability, service, programming assistance and turn-key type systems.