The Use of the Computer in the Cancer Registry

A survey of the members of the International Association of Cancer Registries was carried out to determine the extent to which their registry procedures had been automated by the use of computers. The great majority of these registries were population-based, and most (73%) had access to a computer, the exceptions being registries in developing countries. Computerised registries were larger in size than manual ones and had higher levels of staffing. Questions on recent changes to registry systems revealed a trend to increasing availability of direct on-line access to the computer master file and the use of data-base management systems. The low cost of suitable computers and software packages means that inexpensive automated systems will probably soon be within reach of all but the smallest registries.

Die Mitglieder der International Association of Cancer Registries (Internationale Vereinigung der Krebsre-gister) führten eine Übersicht durch, um festzustellen, in welchem Ausmaß ihre Registrierungsverfahren durch die Verwendung von Computern automatisiert worden waren. Die große Mehrzahl dieser Register waren bevölkerungsbezogen, und die meisten davon (73%) mit Ausnahme von Registern in Entwicklungsländern hatten Zugang zu einem Computer. Computer-unterstützte Register waren größer als manuell geführte und hatten mehr Personal. Fragen zu kürzlichen Änderungen in Registrierungssystemen zeigten zunehmende Möglichkeiten der Datenverarbeitung im Dialog und des zunehmenden Gebrauchs von Datenbanksystemen. Die niedrigen Kosten geeigneter Computer und Softwarepakete deuten darauf hin, daß preiswerte automatisierte Systeme wahrscheinlich bald für alle außer den kleinsten Registern in Reichweite sein werden.

Key-Words

Cancer - Data Base - Data Processing - Medical Computer Applications - Register

Schlüssel-Wörter

Krebs - Datenbank - Datenverarbeitung - Computeranwendung in der Medizin - Register

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