Premium
A computer approach to cancer patient follow‐up
Author(s) -
Graham Thomas D.,
Ausman Robert K.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.2930010104
Subject(s) - medicine , autopsy , medical emergency , cancer , surgery , medical physics , general surgery , pathology
A computer based system to follow until death all discharged patients with a malignant diagnosis has been implemented at Roswell Park Memorial Institute. The automated system has relieved the follow‐up clerks of tedious clerical procedures and the human decision‐making that was prevalent in its manual predecessor. The system automatically prepares letters based on the patient's condition and, when the patient expires, a physician letter is generated to obtain details of the death (autopsy, mechanism of death, etc.). All correspondence is stored on magnetic tape for patient as well as system evaluation. Less than one percent of the cases registered has been lost to follow‐up. The system has shown that the family physician contact is most desirable. The system is economically feasible.