Use of a Digital Electronic Computer for Evaluation of Serial Clinical Observations in Patients with Acute Leukemia ^[*)]

A pilot program for a digital electronic computer which evaluates serial clinical observations in patients with acute leuke_mia is described. This program performs necessary computations, assigns summary designations for disease status and course of disease according to explicit criteria, and calls attention to any of many possible deviations from protocol. Details of input and out-put and specific programming methods of value in the construction of such computer programs are reviewed. More comprehensive types of analysis may also be included in such a program. If the proper electronic equipment and programming methods are available, similar techniques should prove invaluable to any large-scale cooperative clinical study.

Verfasser beschreibt ein Programm für ein elektronisches Digitalrechengerät zur Erfassung und Auswertung klinischer Beobachtungsreihen bei Patienten mit akuter Leukämie. Dieses Programm schließt die nötigen Berechnungen ein, enthält jeweils kurze Angaben über Krankheitsstatus und -verlauf und vermerkt darüber hinaus jede mögliche Abweichung vom Protokoll. Einzelheiten der Eingabe und Ausgabe der Daten sowie spezifische Programmierlmgsmethoden, die bei der Aufstellung solcher Maschinenprogramme von Bedeutung sind, werden behandelt. Solch ein Programm ermöglicht auch nach weit eingehendere und umfassendere Analysen. Wenn geeignete Elektronenrechner und Programmierungsmethoden zur Verfügung stehen, können die hier dargestellten Techniken von unschätzbarem Wert für die Durchführung groβangelegter klinischer Gemeinschaftsuntersuchungen jeder Art sein.

^*) Supported by Grant C-2347 Irom the National Institutes ol Health, U. S. Public Health Service. An abstract ol this work has been previously published.

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