Digitation of Clinical and Research Data in Serial Evaluation of Disease Processes

There is an urgent need to quantify if possible the complex phenomena emerging out of the changeable nature and variability of disease processes and resulting from the interactions of man, disease agents, and his environment. Comprehensive care and individualization of treatment is formulated by the physician logically or empirically or intuitively. Methods that can increase the variety, frequency and depth of our observations should assist us. Information flow between the patient and the physician has been scrutinized to develop extensive application of EDP for clinical use and research in chronic disease. A variety of digitation formats is being investigated and used. The assumptions of this experiment and the problems and advantages of present experience with EDP will be considered. Practical technical problems that have been identified will be discussed.