Possible Application of EDP in Daily Practice

Once certain standards are agreed upon, we may obtain and record maximum information from patients with minimum expenditure of a doctor's time and eliminate entirely certain human factors peculiar to both doctor and patient which sometimes lead to delay or confusion in diagnosis. This information will be permanently recorded and readily available at all times and in all places to subsequent physicians. The record can be kept continuously up to date. Classification and analysis of the material obtained by electronic data processing (EDP) will suggest diagnoses, further tests, and possible lines of treatment. The collection of material from millions of cases will present opportunities for EDP to study association of diseases, constitutional factors in disease, environmental factors, etc. (cf. german measles, cancer of lung) and will afford opportunities for unbiased study of methods of treatment. This seems to promise an ``industrial revolution'' in the practice of medicine.