PRIST: a fourth-generation tool for medical information systems.

PRIST is a fourth-generation software package purposely oriented to development and management of medical applications, running under MS/DOS IBM compatible personal computers. The tool has been developed on the top of DBIII Plus language utilizing the Clipper Compiler networking features for the integration in a LAN environment. Several routines written in C and BASIC Microsoft languages integrated this DBMS-kernel system providing I/O, graphics, statistics, retrieval utilities. To increase the interactivity of the system both menu-driven and windowing interfaces have been implemented. PRIST has been utilized to develop a wide variety of small medical applications ranging from research laboratories to intensive care units. The great majority of reactions from the use of these applications were positive, confirming that PRIST is able to assist in practice management and patient care as well as research purposes.