[mod.computers.workstations] Need help selecting Apollo vs. Sun and a Relational DBMS for hospitals

works@ucbvax.UUCP (12/23/85)

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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