This book is based on the proceedings of the fourth Medical Microcomputer Workshop held at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School on 3-5 September 1986. The workshop was attended by clinicians and computer scientists with an interest in applying computer technology to current medical practice. The problems ranged from audit and patient management through to the more complex applications of data analysis obtained from current diagnos tic techniques. The choice of microcomputers has never been greater with low cost making them readily available. A single microcomputer has limita tions in clinical practice and the use of networks for multi-user tasks has expanded its capability but increased the complexity both in terms of hardware and the software needed to run it. Although comprehensive commercial packages are available, none of these are entirely suitable for medical applications without modification. Many of the chapters presented in this book describe the problems encountered and the solutions achieved by configuring and modifying applications software.

Medical Applications of Microcomputers deals with microcomputer applications in a wide area of clinical medicine. Recent developments are discussed in several clinical specialties including medicine, surgery, urology, anaesthesia and oncology. Topics include the storage of analysis of clinical audit data, the display of processing of data from direct physiological measurements and computers in control of therapy. The authors draw on their practical experience and knowledge of specific areas to which they have applied modern microcomputer techniques and give detailed descriptions of the means by which the problems that may be encountered may be overcome. Those wishing to implement their own computer systems will find this book a useful further source of ideas and techniques which add to those described in the earlier volume "Microcomputers in Medicine" by the same editors.