Epidemiology by computer.

Collecting epidemiological data from a large community sample has, in the past, been a costly and time-consuming exercise. This paper outlines a methodology for undertaking such research by using a set of standard psychiatric questionnaires, including a computerised version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule Screening Interview on a portable laptop computer. The study of 1009 country South Australian subjects found that this technique provided prevalence estimates similar to those obtained from the more established Diagnostic Interview Schedule, with the added benefit that all interviews were successfully carried out by lay interviewers under minimal supervision, in the subject's home.