ABSTRACT:

In the past decades mathematical methods have gained a more and more important role for both theoretical and clinical medicine. Nevertheless, in the clinical setting they are only rarely applied, as the required equations and algorithms are not easily accessible. To support clinical implementation even of advanced numeric methods we began to develop a new application with about 250 relevant equations based on experiences with an older web based information resource (Munich Formulary of Medical Sciences). Unlike the old system the new program should be made available in three forms: As a small stand-alone application on common computing platforms, as an internet site for standard browsers and as printed book. Therefore the data format should exhibit a structure that can be efficiently rendered even on older machines and allows for easy conversion to markup languages as HTML or WML as well as to imaging standards like PostScript or PDF. Based on these requirements the decision fell on a language system (FORMOSA) composed of an XML application (fML) and a frugal scripting language (fScript) for processing of calculations.

The first version of the application was developed in Pascal for Mac OS computers. The parsing engine proved to be very fast and compact (< 50 KB) and therefore seems to be usable even on older machines as they are still in use in hospitals and at general practitioners. As the XML structure is optimized for the contents the documents are very small, too (less than 50% of a comparable HTML file). Currently the application is being ported to other operating systems (Windows and Linux with Delphi/Kylix). A further step will include a web service offering the contents in XML or HTML via automatically conversion, depending on the capabilities of the browser. This work was supported by the Merck KGaA (EM Pharma), Darmstadt (HE), F. R. Germany

This presentation gives an example for the various applications of XML in medical education as well as for possible ways to provide cross-platform software applications with flexible contents. It shows how efficiently XML may be parsed and applied with and without DTD or stylesheets. The open source parser showing fast scanning of XML documents and the implementation of a plain scripting language is available upon request to interested participants (Pascal program for THINK Pascal and Delphi).

Johannes W. Dietrich, M. D.
Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum der LMU München, Campus Innenstadt
Ziemssenstr. 1
D-80336.041.001 München (BY)
Germany
Phone: +49 89 5160 - 2289
Fax: +49 89 5160 - 2366
Email: dietrich@medinn.med.uni-muenchen.de
Website: http://www.formica-online.de

CO-AUTHORS:

Dr. med. Martin R. Fischer
Dipl.-Ing. Matthias F. Holzer
Medizinische Klinik, Klinikum der LMU München, Campus Innenstadt
Ziemssenstr. 1
D-80336.041.001 München (BY)
Germany
Phone: +49 89 5160 - 2289
Fax: +49 89 5160 - 2366
Email: fischer@medinn.med.uni-muenchen.de
matthias.holzer@instruct.de
Website: http://link.medinn.med.uni-muenchen.de
http://www.instruct.de
http://www.medical-cybernetics.de