CHORT: an original system for cardiological database hospital reports

Data collection and management is a tedious and time consuming activity. With CHORT (Cardiac HOspital ReporT), the authors have designed a new approach to integrating all data related to a specific patient. CHORT allows interactive data input or data acquisition from external systems. CHORT is able to access other local databases. CHORT can initiate REGAL, a report generator, at any time during a patient's hospital stay. All information is converted into fluent French text before being integrated into the report and merged with free text. REGAL is an interpreted language permitting flexibility in data selection and control over data display and page lay-out. CHORT improves and speeds up medical file access, suppresses typed report output, and provides a database for clinical and scientific purposes. >