Background and Purpose There is increasing emphasis on the use of inte
grated systems for timely, accurate, and efficient data collection for
a range of service, audit, quality, and research applications. The pr
esent study evaluates the acceptability and the quality of data collec
ted on a ward-based system over a 6-month period. Methods A multidisci
plinary system specific for stroke rehabilitation was used. Members of
each discipline were required to enter demographic, medical, nursing,
therapy, and psychosocial data as appropriate to their speciality. A
users' survey was undertaken at the beginning and at the end of the st
udy. The quality and completeness of data entry were assessed by a ''s
napshot'' of the database at the end of the study period. Primary user
s (n=13) included physicians, nurses, and therapists. Results The user
survey at the end of the evaluation showed a significant increase in
confidence in using the system. Although the frequency of use had incr
eased, the time spent in data entry had decreased significantly. The i
ncrease in work load, estimated at 15 to 60 minutes per week, was cons
idered to be balanced by the benefits in patient care, audit, and rese
arch. There were 67 medical and 1046 other assessments on 67 patients
entered into the system. Seven patients (11%) had incomplete medical r
ecords. Nursing and therapy assessments had been entered for all patie
nts at admission and on discharge, with more than 95% of all possible
assessments monitoring recovery being recorded accurately compared wit
h conventional records. Conclusions The study showed that it was possi
ble to introduce a computerized multidisciplinary assessment system on
rehabilitation wards as a part of day-to-day work without the need fo
r significant extra resources.