Biomedical subjects

A Zaiss

Publications and source records attributed to A Zaiss.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2000

Automated coding of diagnoses--three methods compared.

In Germany, new legal requirements have raised the importance of the accurate encoding of admission and discharge diseases for in- and outpatients. In response to emerging needs for computer-supported tools we examined three methods for automated coding of German-language free-text diagnosis phrases. We compared a language-independent lexicon-free n-gram approach with one which uses a dictionary of medical morphemes and refines the query by a mapping to SNOMED codes. Both techniques produced a ranked output of possible diagnoses within a vector space framework for retrieval. The results did not reveal any significant difference: The correct diagnosis was found in approximately 40% for three-digit codes, and 30% for four-digit codes. The lexicon-based method was then modified by substituting the vector space ranking by a heuristic approach that capitalizes on the semantic structure of SNOMED, thus raising the number of correct diagnoses significantly (approximately 50% for three-digit codes, and 40% for four-digit codes). As a result, we claim that lexicon-based retrieval methods do not perform better than the lexicon-free ones, unless conceptual knowledge is added.

Abstracting and Indexing↗

PubMed2000

Using ICD-10 for case groups.

The definition of German case groups now uses an adaptation of the ICD-10: ICD-10-SGBV. For the transformation of the existing ICD-9-based definition into the ICD-10-SGBV an ICD-9/ICD-10 conversion table was used. The derived raw definitions were manually refined in detail. Due to the transformation of the classification system, the number of definitions increased immensely, as the ICD-10 SGBV is by far more detailed than the formerly used ICD-9. In our opinion, ICD-10 SGBV is not ideal for the definition of case groups, because this classification system is designed to support statistics on morbidity and mortality, but definitions of case groups are oriented to cost factors. Therefore the definition of case groups should be based on a specially designed classification system or one should reassess the necessity of a parallel definition by codes of classifications as well as by text. In both alternatives the introduction of a detailed and systematic medical documentation with expressive terminology systems will offer the advantage of classifying patients into medical oriented classifications as well as case groups.

Diagnosis-Related Groups↗

PubMed1999

Towards a multilingual morpheme thesaurus for medical free-text retrieval.

We introduce a methodology for the segmentation of complex compounds into medically plausible morphemes. A tool for thesaurus compilation and management is presented, and design principles for a multilingual morpheme thesaurus are outlined. Our goal is to enhance the quality of medical free-text retrieval by replacing lexically based through morpheme-based search procedures.

Germany↗

PubMed1998

Conversion problems concerning automated mapping from ICD-10 to ICD-9.

The increasing parallel use of ICD-9 and ICD-10 complicates the comparability of coded diagnoses. This is the reason why we developed a symmetric table for interactive conversion between ICD-9 and ICD-10, based on a vector space text-retrieval method that resulted in unambiguous mapping from ICD-9 to ICD-10 in 64%, from ICD-10 to ICD-9 in 87% of all three- and four-character classes of the tabular list. Out of the remaining 13% of multi-valued relations, a table for automated mapping from ICD-10 to ICD-9 was created. In 9% of cases, the selection offered no problems. A compromise between preserving information content and maintaining the logical integrity had to be found in 2.4%; in 1.6% automated mapping was impossible because of newly defined concepts and structural differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10 that are not counterbalanced by a consistent system of residual categories. We recommend that in a future revision of the ICD, compatibility with the then existing classification system should be considered.

Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted↗

PubMed1998

[Procedure Coding System (PCS): evaluation by the Ministry of Health].

It can be assumed that the German surgical procedure coding system OPS-301 must be replaced by a new coding system at the beginning of the next millennium. The "Procedure Coding System (ICD-10-PCS)" which is presently being developed in the USA was considered the most promising system by the German Curators for questions of classification in Public Health (KKG). Therefore, a working group with members representing all organisations of the KKG was established to evaluate the PCS with special reference to the German conditions. The working group found that PCS is at the moment the best available procedure coding system. The German version of PCS has been licensed by DIMDI in December 1997 and will therefore be in the public domain. The German version will be developed in co-operation with all involved organisations for pilot studies and accompanying scientific evaluation, thus a maximum of consensus should be achieved.

Disease↗

PubMed1997

Critical success factors for a hospital-wide PACS.

Since 1996 a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) is installed at the university hospital of Freiburg. The PACS is integrated in the hospital information system (HIS) and several modalities of different vendors are attached to it. During the implementation phase three critical factors to the success of our PACS installation where identified: the support of the workflow, the interface of the radiological information system (RIS) to the modalities, and the security policy to allow hospital-wide access to the images and results in the PACS.

Computer Security↗

PubMed1995

The minimum basic data set as the core of the Freiburg University Hospital information system.

At the University Hospital Freiburg (1,927 beds; 53,000 inpatients/year), we developed and ran a Medical Information, Retrieval, and Archives System (MIRA) by integrating the Minimum Basic Data Set into the self developed patient administration system and all the other parts of our hospital information system. Especially for the physicians, MIRA offers access to basic medical data of all patients treated in all medical departments and separate buildings since 1986. MIRA is mainly used in cases of readmission and for scientific and managerial purposes. The privacy controlled access to the central patient data bases (records of 450,000 patients) of MIRA is possible via 610 online PCs and dialog terminals. Because of the many easy-to-use standard functions and special extensions for different clinical departments, MIRA became one of the best accepted edp systems for physicians, nurses and administrators.

Germany↗

PubMed1990

Medical expert systems: design and applications in pulmonary medicine.

Expert systems are computer applications with a built-in knowledge of a special field to solve problems like a human expert on this subject. An expert system consists of an inference component for problem specification and solving, a knowledge base for storage of data, facts, rules and heuristics, an interface for knowledge acquisition, another for the interaction with the user, and a component for reasoning. Pulmonary expert systems are used for automatic interpretations of lung function data which are measured on-line and directly computed. There are also some expert systems for consultation in difficult pulmonary cases and for protection against overlooking rare diseases. Perhaps the most successful applications of pulmonary expert systems are for educational purposes and a large variety of teachware is available. Pulmonary expert systems are presently limited to small applications; often it is necessary to type in large amounts of data and to follow a deeply structured cumbersome dialog. Also, the problem of responsibility for computer decisions has to be mentioned. But pulmonary expert systems as integrated supplements of normal pulmonary measuring devices, as decision support, and as parts of pulmonary teachware will be helpful tools for the pneumological physician.

Artificial Intelligence↗

PubMed1988

[AIDS and the lung].

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed1984

[Fenoterol in chronic obstructive bronchitis--comparison of the efficacy of various application forms. Advantages and disadvantages of metered dose inhalers with a small or large expander and a mechanical atomizer].

After an initial inhalation of 1,25 mg fenoterol in 2 ml 0,9% NaCl by means of Pari Privat randomized on the following two days, two groups of ten respectively eleven patients with relatively stable respiratory tract obstruction were tested for the reversibility of the obstruction with a metered dose inhaler as follows: Group 1 (10 patients) received the metered dose inhaler with a small expander alternatively on even days and on the odd days without the expander. Group 2 (11 patients) received the metered dose inhaler with the large expander (130 mm X 35 mm) alternatively on the even days and with the small expander (100 mm X 30 mm) on the odd days. All patients showed a significant improvement of the bronchial obstruction regardless of the type of inhalation. Auxiliary appliances (inhalation appliances, expanders for the metered dose inhaler) are therefore only necessary, when the patients cannot cope at all or cannot cope optimally with the simple metered dose aerosol.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[The hospital service misuse problem in orthopedics].

In a representative study for all German acute hospitals the amount of inappropriate (medically not necessary) patient care was estimated. The data material, sampling design, weighting technic and the appropriateness expert rating (retrospective, consent judging) was controlled. An overall proportion of inappropriate days of care of 18.45% were found but for orthopedic diseases this rate was 31.9% and even 37.7% for the younger than 60 orthopedic patients. Similar high rates for orthopedic diseases were found in US hospital studies of inappropriateness and should lead to an analysis of their reasons.

Bed Occupancy↗