Medus/A: 1983 status of a database ststem for research and patient care

MEDUS/A enables nonprogrammers to describe their databases and uses that description extensively to customize data entry, querying, report generation, and statistical analysis. Nonprogrammers have tools to implement access control and other security features, audit trails, and transfer of data to other systems. MEDUS/A has been used since 1976 in the Harvard teaching hospitals and has been exported since 1982 in a new version written in Standard MUMPS. This export program was an integral part of the goals for the new version; consequently the system adheres very closely to the ANSI standard for MUMPS and has been implemented on a variety of machines, including micros. The system it modular and easily maintained. As of August, 1983, we have 10 licensees across the country and overseas who have been supported through a program which includes training and consultation. It is possible to run MEDUS/A at a site without a professional programmer.