Chapter 1 Prologue: The Evolution of Computer Databases -- Chapter 2 The Development of Medical Databases -- Chapter 3 Processing Text in Medical Databases -- Chapter 4 Primary Medical Record Databases -- Chapter 5 Specialized Medical Databases -- Chapter 6 Secondary Medical Research Databases -- Chapter 7 Bio-Surveillance & Claims Databases -- Chapter 8 Medical Knowledge Databases -- Chapter 9 Medical Bibliographic Databases -- Chapter 10 Epilogue.

We have witnessed the evolution of medical informatics over the past six decades as we have moved into the new information era. It is clear that computers have had and continue to have a major influence on all of medicine.   Computer Medical Databases: The First Six Decades (1950–2010) has been created by Dr Collen, the “Father of Medical Informatics”, to detail the journey from the very basic medical informatics databases to the hugely complex information systems that are now commonplace in clinics and large hospital groups globally. The medical informatics literature for the last six decades has been so voluminous that it is unfeasible for any review to be completely comprehensive, but the historical material presented is representative of the vast changes that have been observed, and will serve as a useful bridge between medical informatics from the past into the future.  The emphasis is on the development of medical informatics in the United States, but concurrent developments in Canada, Europe, and Japan have certainly influenced this field in the United States. As such, this book will be a superb addition to the library of health informaticians in the U.S. and around the world.