IN 1972 THE ADMINISTRATORS OF THE CECILIA SMITH REMEDIAL NURSERY SCHOOL, A DAY TREATMENT FACILITY FOR MULTIHANDICAPPED CHILDREN IN CANADA, DECIDED TO DEVELOP A CLINICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (CIS) WHICH WOULD FACILITATE EVALUATION OF TREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS AT THE FACILITY. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CIS SHOULD BE RELEVANT FOR THREE CLASSES OF USERS: CLINICIANS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND RESEARCHERS. THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF SUCH A SYSTEM SHOULD PROVIDE INFORMATION IN THE FOLLOWING GENERAL AREAS: DESCRIPTION OF PATIENT, THE TREATMENT PLAN, AND AN ASSESSMENT OF TREATMENT EFFICACY. IT WAS FURTHER DECIDED THAT THE CIS SHOULD BE PROBLEM ORIENTED, USING A GOAL SCALING TECHNIQUE TO ASSESS THERAPEUTIC CHANGES DURING TREATMENT, AT DISCHARGE, AND AFTER DISCHARGE. A PILOT SYSTEM, COMPLETE IN 1973, IS DESCRIBED, AND THE CIS DERIVED FROM THE PILOT IS DISCUSSED. IN PROVIDING INFORMATION RELEVANT TO CLINICIANS, THE CIS IN USE CONTAINS DATA ABOUT EACH CHILD'S SPECIFIC PROBLEMS, PROBLEMS EXPECTED TO BE ALLEVIATED AND THE TREATMENT GOALS, TREATMENTS ADMINISTERED FOR EACH PROBLEM, AND SEVERAL ASSESSMENTS OF THE OUTCOME FOR EACH PROBLEM. SOME EXAMPLES OF THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO ADMINISTRATORS ARE CASE LOAD, CASE WORKER PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC ABILITY IN COMPARISON WITH OTHER STAFF, CASE WORKER TREATMENT EFFECTIVENESS, THE SUCCESS RATE IN ACHIEVING TREATMENT OBJECTIVES, AND THE AMOUNT OF RESOURCES EXPENDED IN ALLEVIATING CERTAIN PROBLEM SYNDROMES. INFORMATION NEEDS OF RESEARCHERS ARE SERVED BY THE CIS BY DISSEMINATING EVALUATION DATA ON THE GOALS AND TREATMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH EACH PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION. SAMPLES OF FORMS USED IN THE CIS ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)