Computer-assisted medical care in a haemodialysis unit.

Most computer applications used in dialysis centres process data in batch mode to allow for periodic evaluation and to create a data-bank for research. A system, used for seven years at the University of Liege, achieves these two basic goals; but in addition, it allows for an improvement in patient care, and for a better practical organization of the unit. For each dialysis session, the computer publishes a summary of the data collected during the previous three weeks. Each month, the computer a summary of patients' progress, in an interactive output. As an extension of the medical application, the system gives organizational support to the unit, for example nursing schedules, involving handling biological data, and as a corollary provides extensive data to support clinical research.