Punch-card sorting for radiological reports.

Abstract

The desirability of a low-cost, labor-saving method for cataloging radiological reports is widely recognized. In the training of residents, in the preparation of scientific papers and in undergraduate teaching such a catalogue is indispensable. The radiologist who wishes to review his experience from time to time feels the need for a roster of that experience in an available form. The radiologist in hospital or private practice is frequently called upon to present staff meetings or prepare papers for local medical groups. A quickly available survey of the type and amount of material at his disposal can simplify his task. The coding and tabulating system to be described was designed to be suitable for both hospital and private office use. It has the advantages of low initial investment in equipment (less than ten dollars), low cost per patient (about four cents), and requires no trained personnel. The actual expenditure of the radiologist's time is minimal. The time spent by clerical workers may amount to less than the time saved by simplification of department routine. Materials and Methods The equipment required is a 1/8-inch diameter needle, a notching punch (similar to a conductor's punch), and a supply of marginally perforated cards (Fig. 1).2 When the Keysort cards are threaded by the needle in any given station, those cards which have been notched at that station fall off the needle and the unnotched cards remain in place. By assigning a meaning to each hole or group of holes, this simple behavior becomes the basis for sorting the cards into categories. Suppose the records of male patients have been notched and those of female patients have been left unnotched. A stack of 200 cards can be sorted into “male” and “female” stacks in about eight seconds by inserting the needle through a single hole. The sorting operation has been accelerated about 2,500 per cent. In practice, the roentgenologist reports the case in the usual way and at the conclusion of the report dictates code numbers corresponding to the one or more diagnoses he has made. From this point on he has no further connection with the system. When the report is typed, a punchcard serves as the last carbon copy. All the information required to completely identify the card is now printed directly on it. At suitable intervals the cards are punched directly from this information and filed. Thus, when a group of cases is selected, it is not necessary to consult cross-files for the reports. The Diagnostic Code: The code employed is essentially a modification of that proposed by Hodges and Lampe. The body is subdivided into “fields” which are major anatomical divisions. As far as possible, similar entities in different fields are assigned the same code number. Nine fields are specified within which are 31 diagnostic possibilities. The card actually allows for 99 subdivisions under each field so a more elaborate code can be used if desired.