The personal computer as a clinical research and teaching tool.

The combination of the IBM Personal Computer and Lotus 1-2-3 software has made the personal computer of practical value to the surgeon. Within a month of spare time learning one can become competent in the use of the electronic spread sheet, data manipulation, basic statistics, and graph creation. Special functions, macros, and menus can be written into the program to tailor it to the investigator's individual needs. The software is self instructing, but the help and advice of a professional programmer is invaluable if a problem arises. Slide, table, and manuscript preparation time are minimized, particularly if a word processing package is added, and your secretary will love it!