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Epi Wit & Wisdom Letters
Epidemiologists and
Personal Home Computers: Reader Proposes Regular Column to Exchange
Ideas
[We recently received a letter
from one of our readers interested in sharing information on small
computer applications in epidemiology. We would like to determine how
many of our other readers share an interest in this topic. Following
is the letter we received.]
Dear Sir:
The availability of the
programmable pocket calculator has allowed epidemiologists, such as
myself, who deal with small to intermediate sized data bases to
perform complex statistical analyses without the aid of a statistician
and without access to a huge computer. Now, with the advent of
powerful personal computers such as the Apple II and Apple III,
“small-study” epidemiologists are finally able to do most of the
complex data management and sorting jobs only previously available on
big machines. Unfortunately few of the data base management software
packages and none of the statistical packages of which I am aware are
tailored to the needs of the epidemiologists; there is no Rothman-Boice
book for the Apple.
We need a forum for
epidemiologists who use small computers to exchange ideas about
hardware and software. Since the machines are rapidly evolving this
should be a regular column. Perhaps you would like to publish a
regular (though maybe not monthly) column on small computer
applications in epidemiology. Since epidemiology is such a diverse
field the column should be written as an exchange of ideas rather than
from a single person’s viewpoint. The first in the series should be a
reader survey to find out how many epidemiologists have micros; what
they use them for; what kind they have; and what software they use.
Charles E. Haley, MD
Published January
1982
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