[net.database] Need help selecting Apollo vs. Sun and a Relational DBMS for hospitals

brianm@bigtuna.UUCP (Brian Martin) (12/20/85)

I'm developing a patient medical record system for a community-based hospital
built around Unix workstations.  The medical record system follow's Weed's POMR
medical database, and will be implemented by a relational DBMS.  I'd like
opinions as to whether I should use Sun or Apollo workstations, and why, and
which relational DBMS to use.  The system will tie together all components
of a hospital which may enter information into a patients's medical record,
including the laboratory, radiology, nuclear medicine, nursing stations,
admissions, etc.  The configuration requires a minimum of 30 nodes; the
relational DBMS must support a least 12 different views of the medical
database, which will have 68+ relations.

I plan to embed the DBMS within a mouse/icon interface, to decrease the amount
of typing necessary.  Voice input would be a Major Plus.  Also, conversion
(via a frame grabber?) of radiographic images (X-rays, CT-scans, NMR images,
PET scans, SCA, etc.) into a format suitable for on-line storage and display
will eventually be required--is it feasable now?  If so, do you know anyone who
does it?  AT&T makes a board for the IBM-AT (ugh) that converts images from
VCRS, laser discs, and video cameras into 512x512 data representations--is
there anything similar for the Sun or Apollo?

Any and all replies are appreciated--from biased opinions to actual unbiased
studies.

	Thanks in advance,
	Brian Martin
	University of Hawaii School of Medicine
	
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