The Integrated Burn Information System - Overview

The Burn Information System at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research has greatly improved the handling of clinical data in support of both patient care and clinical research. The database currently contains data on over 700 present and past patients. Multiple interactive access, rapid response, ease-of-use through decision menus and data integration characterize the information system. The database structure and the human interfaces were the most critical design aspects. The structure is customized for speed of response and the interfaces encourage use by novices as well as experienced users. Software protection, regular backups and after-image journaling insure the safety of the data. The Burn Information System has increased the efficiency of data reporting and retrieval and has encouraged new clinical research.