Really need help building a medical database

[Nitrosoxide]

Can anyone recommend some a good program and tutorial that could help me out with this?
Someone suggested Excel, but the crazy number of patients I'm looking at that makes that suggestion seems stupid.


Anyways I need to construct a database for a class thing. The categories will be

Patient Name:
Patient Age:
Sex: Male or Female
History of Polyps: (Yes or No)
Time to complete Colonoscopy:


The tricky part is being able to do a lot with this data. Some sample things I need to find out are

Mean Age of the patients
Mean to complete operation time
Mean number of the patients above 40 who say (Yes) to history of polyps
Mean number of males between 20-30 who say (Yes) to history of polyps
Mean age of female patients

Any help guys?

[graciano1337]

If you have all the info in say, a .txt file, it's pretty easy to import it all into excel. And it's pretty easy to calculate all of those averages, too.

[Nitrosoxide]

Nope the data is basically boxes and boxes of patient charts. Like over 300 charts.

So I'd rather have something more organized (can file maker pro do this?)
Because while I'm sure the calculation is easy in excel. It just might get abit hard to do correctly with all those small cells and columns

[Borman]

Why not use that Microsoft Database program..uhh...Access I think it is. Does a lot.

[diddydonn]

what about trying the database progam in openoffice? i used that for something similar a while ago and works great

[3do]

anything like access on MS office or the open office eqivalent is your best choice.

i had to use access for a subject on my college course and i think that using a database program is the best way to go and it will make things easier in the long run and you can change the properties any field to suit the data to be entered like numbers,date,currency etc which will be good for what you want to use it for

[Nitrosoxide]

So what about a program like Filemaker Pro.

I like the idea of using Microsoft access.

Any good tutorials for it?

[am2]

You could use something like mysql too, and use php to make some queries and show you the data.

[am2]

By the way for your database you'd probably have slightly different info, like separate first name and last name, and instead of age you'll want to register the date of birth etc. (how else will you know when someone becomes 1 year older etc).

The rest of the info you need you can get with relatively simple sql queries, something like SELECT COUNT(*) FROM <table> WHERE SEX='M' AND HISTORYOFPOLYPS="Y" will give you all males with a history. (dont shoot me if syntax isnt 100% correct :) ) You can use a similar query for access, but not if you use plain text files or anything. Just use some db software that lets you do sql queries. And if your assignment is to construct a DATABASE then a plaintext/excel solution will not be sufficient anyway. But that should be stated in your assignment somewhere really, look it up :)

[am2]

Well i was bored and made a small example database with some queries. Should be enough to get you started. I added "age" as a column anyway since there is no trivial and easy way to calculate averages of dates (that i know of). Its made in openoffice.org base.

[sephiap]

You could use PHP/MySQL but don't you need those running on some kind of server? If it's something for school, go Microshaft Access, make some queries for the mean figures you need and input apps in the DB for input... I'm alright with it and can help if you want, but I'm no expert...

Equally, as noted, OpenOffice is a good alternative but I don't know a heck of a lot about the database app in it.

[dickibow]

By the way for your database you'd probably have slightly different info, like separate first name and last name, and instead of age you'll want to register the date of birth etc. (how else will you know when someone becomes 1 year older etc).

Yes, great advice from am2.

I'm a database/web app developer and we use MS Visual Studio with SQL database backends. This sounds relatively straight forward so I would defo go with MS Access. I know people say "urr,....Access is shit.....blah blah blah" but to be honest it's not that bad, and for something like this it's ideal.

[Nitrosoxide]

Well i was bored and made a small example database with some queries. Should be enough to get you started. I added "age" as a column anyway since there is no trivial and easy way to calculate averages of dates (that i know of). Its made in openoffice.org base.

Well actually the age would be a static thing. Since this is a one shot database. The data is only relevent to the operation date, and thus the patient age doesn't really change.

Anyways, thanks for your help guys but I'm still pretty confused here. I think a good tutorial site for this stuff would help me...

[am2]

Just google around for "sql tutorial" or something. I wonder though howcome you have to make something like this for school, yet it seems like they didnt really give you any more information or whatever to actually get started? What exactly did they give you as an assignment and how did they tell you to do it? Seems like a strange school you go to! :)

Anyway this seems like a good sql tutorial that explains some basic things; basically all you need to know. http://www.w3schools.com/sql/sql_intro.asp

[Nitrosoxide]

Its more of a indirect thing for School. But, rather then bring you all the long-winded story I figured it was easier to just say "class" then really get into the details.

But, basically its more of a volunteer thing, my university keeps recommending undergrads to get involved in the medical field any way they can. Anyways, to cut a long story short, I was able to get a voluntary position with a relative who works in a medical practice.

He apprantly has the impression I'm good at "computers" so he gave me this little project that they need done. Still the details are sorta unclear and he himself thought I should use excel. So both of us are "fish out of the water"

[am2]

In that case you'd need a *GOOD* database model :) And keep in mind that medical data is subject to all sorts of privacy-rules. At least here it is. It would be good to know what the privacy concerns are and who is allowed to do what etc etc, chances are you yourself arent even allowed to see the data if its real medical data (although im not sure how the laws in your country are)

[Nitrosoxide]

In that case you'd need a *GOOD* database model :) And keep in mind that medical data is subject to all sorts of privacy-rules. At least here it is. It would be good to know what the privacy concerns are and who is allowed to do what etc etc, chances are you yourself arent even allowed to see the data if its real medical data (although im not sure how the laws in your country are)

Lol obviously I need a good database. Thats why I'm asking for help.

Or is GOOD an acronym for another program? :110:

I'm not sure of the details surrounding the data, e.g. whether the names are phony, etc. but, the project is through the hospital so I wouldn't worry about it.


Anyways, any more ideas?

[am2]

Well first get a clear picture of all the data you'd need and want. After that you can make a database design.
For example if a patient can be treated multiple times youd probably want a seperate table for patient data and a seperate one for illnessess. Etc etc. Is there only one illness or are there more? If so what info do you want for each illness etc. So first get a clear picture of *what* it is you want to register in a database, then you can think about *how* you'll put it into the database.

Basically your first step is gathering data and a process called normalization. Google around for something like "database normalization example" and read up about it.

One example is this:
http://www.peachpit.com/articles/art...30885&seqNum=1

I didnt have much time to read through it to see if its a very good article but it seems to describe (with examples) what you basically need to do and what you need to consider.