Microprocessors as intelligent front-end devices for medical-information systems.

Computer technology has produced increasingly powerful systems whose miniaturization has spawned the term microprocessor. The role of microcomputers is optimal if they are linked to larger systems in a distributed, hierarchical network with each element performing those functions for which it is best suited. Obstacles to the development of such a network include incompatibilities in operating systems, application languages, file structures, and communication protocols. Some attempts to address these problems are briefly reviewed. Given the availability on an effective distributed hierarchy of computers, the microprocessor can be useful in a number of functions requiring rapid response and limited access to large, central data files. Examples of such activities in the medical-information environment included program development and testing, forms entry, and text-management systems. With adequate attention to the systems support as well as the development of effective application techniques, the role of microprocessor-based intelligent terminals will inevitably expand rapidly in coming years.