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Background Routinely collected general practice computer data are used for quality improvement; poor data quality including inconsistent coding can reduce their usefulness. Objective To document the diversity of data entry systems currently in use in UKgeneral practice and highlight possible implications for data quality. Method General practice volunteers provided screen shots of the clinical coding screen they would use to code a diagnosis or problem title in the clinical consultation. The six clinical conditions examined were: depression, cystitis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, sore throat, tired all the time, and myocardial infarction. We looked at the picking lists generated for these problem titles in EMIS, IPS, GPASS and iSOFT general practice clinical computer systems, using the Triset browser as a gold standard for comparison. Results A mean of 19.3 codes is offered in the picking list after entering a diagnosis or problem title. EMIS produced the longest picking lists and GPASS the shortest, with a mean number of choices of 35.2 and 12.7, respectively. Approximately threequarters (73.5%) of codes are diagnoses, one-eighth (12.5%) symptom codes, and the remainder come from a range of Read chapters. There was no readily detectable consistent order in which codes were displayed. Velocity coding, whereby commonly-used codes are placed higher in the picking list, results in variation between practices even where they have the same brand of computer system. Conclusions Current systems for clinical coding promote diversity rather than consistency of clinical coding. As the UKmove s towards an integrated health IT system consistency of coding will become more important. A standardised, limited list of codes for primary care might help address this need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the results of a survey of all universities in Great Britain to establish the extent and nature of group learning and group assessment on undergraduate computing courses. Amount and control of group learning and assessment methods; Attitudes to group learning and group assessment; Uncertainty about group assessment.

This research is concerned with the development of a knowledge-based expert system for supporting human experts in assessing applications for the house renovation grant system. The development of the system followed the task structure analysis and the client-centred approach. The task structure analysis describes the system at knowledge level in terms of tasks, problem-solving methods and knowledge types. The implementation of the system followed the client-centred approach. The resulting system implements a frame- work that integrates case-based reasoning, abductive assembly, decomposition and associative methods. In addition, this framework combines different types of knowledge, which are required by the problem-solving methods. The implementation was carried out together with verification and validation, making it possible to have the system more valid after each stage of the client-centred approach. The system has demonstrated that various problem-solving methods are required for performing the different tasks of the assessment of application for the house renovation grant system. Therefore the system has proved to perform as accurately as human experts do for all of the tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the exposure and effectiveness of the Leg Club model in the healthcare system in Great Britain. Topics discussed include an overview of the Leg Club model, the significance of informatics, the wound care of the National Health Service, and the plan of Finland to set its first Leg Club.

The Manchester Baby, built by F.C. Williams and Tom Kilburn and operational in June 1948, was the first stored-program electronic computer. The Williams-Kilburn tube memory, pioneered in the Baby, was subsequently adopted in many first-generation computers, including the Princeton IAS machine and the IBM 701. Part 1 of this article provides an overview of the Manchester project and its personnel and documents the origins of the Williams-Kilburn tube. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: An association between mumps-measles-rubella (MMR) vaccination and the onset of symptoms typical of autism has recently been suggested. This has led to considerable concern about the safety of the vaccine.Methods: A matched case-control study using data derived form the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database. Children with a possible diagnosis of autism will be identified from their electronic health records. All diagnoses will be validated by a detailed review of hospital letters and by using information derived from a parental questionnaire. Ten controls per case will be selected from the database. Conditional logistic regression will be used to assess the association between MMR vaccination and autism. In addition case series analyses will be undertaken to estimate the relative incidence of onset of autism in defined time intervals after vaccination. The study is funded by the United Kingdom Medical Research Council.Discussion: Electronic health databases offer tremendous opportunities for evaluating the adverse effects of vaccines. However there is much scope for bias and confounding. The rigorous validation of all diagnoses and the collection of additional information by parental questionnaire in this study are essential to minimise the possibility of misleading results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]