USING HYPERTEXT AND THE INTERNET FOR STRUCTURE AND MANAGEMENT OF OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES

The evolution of computer and communications systems in the past decad e brings new opportunities for increased efficiency and accuracy of ob servational studies. In ongoing, large scale research studies, the pro blem of bridging organizational and analytic methods of the past to mo dern methods of data structure and control can consume considerable ef fort. A model for information flow in an observational study is sketch ed, and the flow is found inherently complex. This complexity and corr esponding managerial demands are compounded by database file prolifera tion and by evolution of system hardware and software. Interactive, ne twork-based database mapping and documentation tools are described as currently implemented in an SAS-based system for the management and an alysis of several large epidemiologic studies. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.