PC 3-component database for community-based medical trials: A cost-effective solution both for voluntary associations and for institutions of the "Emerging World"

Aim. Evidence-based health-policy programming has a major impact on community health. Epidemiological studies of public health and community-based medical trials require high-cost technological and net-working devices. Considering that both voluntary medical associations and institutions of the "Emerging World" lack adequate information-technologies and economic support, the community-health assessment is a major limit for evidence-based promotion of public health policy. The different languages spoken in each country represent a further obstacle both for national and international studies. Methods. We therefore developed a 3-component database model that could be a cost-effective solution in community-based medical trials both for voluntary medical associations and the institutions of countries with limited resources. Major characteristics: PC-based, simplicity, language setting, safe data-registration, data standardization, low cost of creation, distribution and internet-interaction of the single unit of the database, easy and low cost program upgrading. Results. The data of medical records were safely stored in the central archives and afterwards displayed in the language needed by the country where the data were shown and data-analyses performed. Conclusion. The PC 3-component database model has proved to be a simple, reliable and low cost application for community based medical trials. It makes it possible to standardize multi-language studies and it allows continual upgrading of medical contents.