This paper reports an analysis and comparison of the electronic and paper medical records of 5 clinically complex persons with spina bifida, who were seen as in- and outpatients at a small Northeastern urban hospital. The combination of chronic illness, multiple medical and allied health specialties, and longer lifespan in this population ensures both a quantitative volume and qualitative complexity of medical event documentation. This ensures a rich field for research into the content and the nature of the fragmented data presently locked in the paper record.
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