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[The Medical Information Systems Project clinical coding and surgeons: why should surgeons code and how?].

The clinical coding system recently instituted in France, the PMSI (Projet de Médicalisation du Système d'Information), has become an unavoidable element in funding allocations for short-term private and public hospitalization centers. Surgeons must take into serious consideration this controversial medicoeconomic instrument. Coding is a dire time-consuming task but, like the hospitalization or surgery report, is an essential part of the discharge procedure. Coding can in the long run be used to establish pricing by pathology. Surgeons should learn the rules and the logic behind this coding system: which, not being based on a medical rationale, may be somewhat difficult to understand. Choosing the right main diagnosis and the comobidity Items is crucial. Quality homogeneous coding is essential if one expects the health authorities to make good use of the system. Our medical societies have a role to play in promoting and harmonizing the coding technique.

Abstracting and Indexing↗

The long-term efficacy of systemic doxycycline medication in the treatment of localized juvenile periodontitis.

The presence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in the deep periodontal pockets of patients with localized juvenile periodontitis has been causally associated with active periodontal destruction. Thus, eradication of this microorganism has become the goal of treatment. It has been postulated that such eradication cannot be achieved without systemic antimicrobial treatment. The efficacy of a semisynthetic tetracycline (doxycycline) in a double-blind follow-up study of 14 patients with localized juvenile periodontitis was evaluated. For assessment of the periodontal status, probing depth and bleeding after probing at 4 sites of all teeth were recorded. The treatment consisted of instruction in oral hygiene, scaling and root planing, periodontal surgery and systemic medication for 2 weeks with either doxycycline (Doximycin) or placebo. A. actinomycetemcomitans was cultivated from subgingival samples taken from 4 sites. The periodontal condition and the prevalence of A. actinomycetemcomitans were monitored at the baseline and at 2, 8 and 20 months. The periodontal condition improved in both groups; the only significant difference was a greater reduction in the prevalence of A. actinomycetemcomitans 8 months after treatment with doxycycline as compared with the placebo.

Actinobacillus↗

Graphical access to medical expert systems: IV. Experiments to determine the role of spoken input.

The goal of our research is to design improved interfaces for medical expert systems. Previously, the use of graphical techniques was explored to improve the acceptance by clinicians of the user interface. Now that devices that accept spoken input are available, we wish to design interfaces that take advantage of this potentially more natural modality for interaction. To understand how clinicians might want to speak to a medical decision-support system, we carried out an experiment that simulated the availability of a spoken interface to the ONCOCIN medical expert system. ONCOCIN provides therapy advice for patients on complex cancer therapy protocols based on a description of the patient's current medical status and laboratory-test values. In the experiment, we had oncologists present a clinical case while observing the ONCOCIN flowsheet display. A project member listened to the presentation and filled in values for the flowsheet, as well as introducing purposeful misunderstandings of the input. The results suggest that each individual developed a stereotypical grammar for communicating with the program. Our experience with the purposeful miscommunications suggests particular ways to tailor requests for repetition based on the part of the utterance that was not understood.

Decision Making, Computer-Assisted↗

A microcomputer-based computerized medical record system for a general practice teaching clinic.

A low-cost and user-friendly computerized medical record system that includes patient demographic data, family genogram and social information, problem list, medication list and repeat prescription, progress notes, and laboratory data has been developed for a general practice teaching clinic. The system also has an automated health maintenance and disease management package, a number of research report programs, and a basic accounting package. The computerized medical record system has provided a very valuable tool for improving patient care, teaching, and general practice research. A standard software package has been developed for other small to medium-sized practices to use without having to redevelop their own software.

Computers↗

From data to knowledge in e-health applications: an integrated system for medical information modelling and retrieval.

The system described in this paper uses the technological advances in information technology in order to influence and improve healthcare practice by enabling the flexible modelling, direct representation and adaptable use of medical knowledge. It aims at resolving a number of difficulties encountered by current information repositories, such as costly customization, reusability, high maintenance and poor information modelling, by employing the architecture of the functional data model (FDM), while maintaining full interoperability with existing systems by means of XML. On the information-modelling front the system supports a variety of modelling techniques that are especially relevant to medical applications, such as complex objects, incomplete or missing information, partially structured data and multimedia content. A prototype implementation of the system has been developed which consists of a multimedia-enhanced version of the functional database language FDL, and a web-based, two-way translator interface between the application's native language and XML. This interface provides full interoperability with other, heterogeneous systems over the web, thus, significantly reducing the complexity of developing distributed healthcare systems and e-health applications.

Computer Communication Networks↗

The rubber meets the road: integrating the Unified Medical Language System Knowledge Source Server into the computer-based patient record.

Ongoing improvements in the content of the Unified Medical Language System, coupled with the recent release of the Internet-based Knowledge Source Server (KSS), have prompted us to develop an interface between the KSS and our computer-based patient record. We confronted many challenges while developing a robust interface to an Internet-based server, and in integrating the process of codification into the workflow of clinicians. An initial evaluation of the interface in the clinical environment suggests that acceptable performance is attainable. The benefits of using an Internet-accessible tool in a clinical information system appear to justify the effort required.

Humans↗

Reaping the benefits of medical information systems.

Increasingly, external forces affect and constrain physicians' clinical decision making and consequently their practice of medicine. Physicians are expected to achieve optimal patient outcomes at the lowest possible cost, which requires that they have quick and convenient access to comprehensive clinical information from different sources. Considerable experience to date has shown that computers can improve physicians' problem solving and decision making by presenting pertinent data, information, and knowledge when it is needed, where it is needed, and in an appropriate format. The authors advocate the use of medical information systems in the daily practice of medicine. They identify critical information-related issues affecting clinicians, provide a brief overview of computer applications in medical care, and discuss studies that indicate how medical information systems can assist physicians in the delivery of cost-effective, high-quality care. Finally they discuss how individual institutions can best reap the benefits of medical information systems.

Efficiency, Organizational↗

Generic evaluation methods for disaster drills in developing countries.

Disaster simulations (drills) are widely used throughout the world and are considered a fundamental tool for evaluation and improvement of local disaster response capacity. Despite this, no generally accepted methodology exists for quantitative evaluation of the medical response to a disaster drill. We therefore set out to develop and prospectively test a comprehensive method to assess both medical provider and organizational performance during a disaster simulation. Because disasters disproportionately affect the populations of developing countries, we designed these methods to be sufficiently flexible to be applicable in both the developed and the developing world. Objective outcome measures were identified for each component of disaster medical response and were incorporated into 3 data collection instruments. The derived methods were applied to a multiagency disaster simulation in Guatemala City, Guatemala. On the basis of this pilot study, suggested modifications and recommendations were made. The ability to objectively identify the specific strengths and weaknesses of an emergency medical services systems' medical response to a disaster is an important step toward optimizing system performance. On the basis of our experience, we recommend the incorporation of objective evaluation methods such as these into every disaster simulation.

Data Collection↗

Knowledge acquisition in the fuzzy knowledge representation framework of a medical consultation system.

This paper describes the fuzzy knowledge representation framework of the medical computer consultation system MedFrame/CADIAG-IV as well as the specific knowledge acquisition techniques that have been developed to support the definition of knowledge concepts and inference rules. As in its predecessor system CADIAG-II, fuzzy medical knowledge bases are used to model the uncertainty and the vagueness of medical concepts and fuzzy logic reasoning mechanisms provide the basic inference processes. The elicitation and acquisition of medical knowledge from domain experts has often been described as the most difficult and time-consuming task in knowledge-based system development in medicine. It comes as no surprise that this is even more so when unfamiliar representations like fuzzy membership functions are to be acquired. From previous projects we have learned that a user-centered approach is mandatory in complex and ill-defined knowledge domains such as internal medicine. This paper describes the knowledge acquisition framework that has been developed in order to make easier and more accessible the three main tasks of: (a) defining medical concepts; (b) providing appropriate interpretations for patient data; and (c) constructing inferential knowledge in a fuzzy knowledge representation framework. Special emphasis is laid on the motivations for some system design and data modeling decisions. The theoretical framework has been implemented in a software package, the Knowledge Base Builder Toolkit. The conception and the design of this system reflect the need for a user-centered, intuitive, and easy-to-handle tool. First results gained from pilot studies have shown that our approach can be successfully implemented in the context of a complex fuzzy theoretical framework. As a result, this critical aspect of knowledge-based system development can be accomplished more easily.

Decision Making↗

A network system of medical and welfare information service for the patients, their families, hospitals, local governments, and commercial companies in a medical service area.

A service information system using the Internet, which connected the various people who are related to medical treatment and nursing welfare, was constructed. An intractable neurological disease patient who lives in the Onga district, Fukuoka, Japan, and the people who are related to the service were chosen as test users in an experimental model. The communicated service information was divided into open-use data (electronic bulletin board, welfare service, medical care service, and link to private company service home page) and closed-use data (the individual patient's hysterics). The open data server was installed in an Internet service provider The open data could be accessed not only by the patient, but also by the family, information center, companies, hospitals, and nursing commodity store related to patient's nursing and medical treatment. Closed data server was installed in an information center (public health center). Only patient and information center staff can access the closed data. Patients should search and collect the service information of various medical and welfare services by themselves. Therefore, services prepared for the patient are difficult to know, and they cannot be sufficiently utilized. With the use of this information system, all usable service information became accessible, and patients could easily use it. The electronic bulletin board system (BBS) was used by patients for knowing each other or each others' family, and was used as a device for exchange of wisdom. Also, the questions for the specialist, such as doctor, dentist, teacher, physical therapist, care manager, welfare office staff member, and public health nurse, and the answers were shown on the BBS. By arranging data file, a reference of various patients in question and answer, which appeared in this BBS, was made as "advisory hints" and was added to the open data. The advisory hints became the new service information for the patients and their family. This BBS discovered the possibility of becoming an important information source for companies, hospital and, administration to know the requirements of patients and their families and the kind of services to be served. Although suppliers provide medical and welfare services for the patient, there is a tendency that the service information is sent by the suppliers at their own convenience. The information system in which various people participated was constructed in order to collect information for the patient, taking a patient-oriented approach. The result of the model test showed that this information system using Internet technology is a good system for both the service supplier and its receiver.

Access to Information↗

Efficiency of different systems for medication distribution in an academic children's hospital in The Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: In the Sophia Children's Hospital, both a ward stock system and a decentralized, patient-orientated, ready-to-use drug distribution system (a 'satellite pharmacy system') exist. Hospital management considered expanding the concept of the satellite pharmacies. Little was known, however, about the efficiency of this drug distribution system, whereas there is increasing pressure to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of pharmacy services. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the efficiency of satellite pharmacies compared with other medication distribution systems. METHODS: All medication orders and prepared doses were counted. The workload of the two current distribution systems was calculated using the direct time study method. Furthermore, the consequences of altering the distribution system were calculated by formulating nine variants in which certain activities surrounding the medication distribution were moved between nurses and pharmacy technicians. Moreover, we varied the degree of computerization of the medication order registration. RESULTS: The required working hours are the largest in the variants in which nurses do the preparation of the drugs. Moving the distribution of some drug categories, such as ready-to-use drugs, prepared oral drugs, and prepared inhalation drugs, from pharmacy technicians to nurses appeared not to produce noticeable benefits compared with the current distribution system. Expanding the concept of the satellite pharmacies involves a small rise in total working hours compared with the current situation, but does not raise personnel costs. The largest cost savings can be achieved by introducing an on-line computerized physician order-entry system. CONCLUSIONS: The concept of satellite pharmacies offers an efficient distribution system for the Sophia Children's Hospital.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗

Intratracheal catheters as drug delivery systems.

Medication delivery into the lungs can be used to provide a high therapeutic index for agents targeted to specific lung diseases. In addition, the lung can be used as a portal of entry for other agents targeted to systemic diseases. Delivery of medications into the lung can be accomplished by either instillation or aerosolization. Instillation approaches are limited by the fluid volume that can be given safely, and instilled liquids distribute according to gravity. In contrast, aerosolization approaches can deliver larger volumes over longer periods and aerosols distribute according to ventilation. In the mechanically ventilated patient, externally generated aerosols have very poor lung delivery because the endotracheal tube functions as a barrier to aerosol passage. Novel aerosol generating systems at the ends of small-diameter catheters that can be placed into the trachea (or beyond) are being developed to address this. In vitro testing has shown these systems to be capable of producing appropriately sized particles, with high rates of lung deposition. These catheters could be coupled with tracheal gas insufflation systems, not only to deliver therapeutic aerosols but also to create water aerosols to supply necessary humidification during tracheal gas insufflation.

Administration, Inhalation↗

Tracking medical students' clinical experiences with a computerized medical records system.

A fully computerized system for recording and reporting of medical students' patient contacts has been developed and successfully used in a high-volume outpatient practice. In contrast to previously described systems, the need for manual recording and/or entry of patient data has been eliminated by the use of an existing, integrated computerized medical records system. This makes possible the generation of frequent reports and timely review and adjustment of student experiences. The system has broad applicability and may also be useful for research in medical education.

Clinical Clerkship↗

[Prehospital management of acute myocardial infarct in an experimental metropolitan system of medical emergencies].

BACKGROUND: Feasibility, safety and efficacy of prehospital management of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and prehospital thrombolysis have been widely demonstrated. On this background, in March 1992 we started up an Emergency Medical Service (EMS)--Servizio per le Emergenze Cardiologiche Territoriali, SECT--aimed to prehospital care of overall cardiac emergencies (CE), including AMI. The Service, operating in the metropolitan area of Turin (130 Km2, 964,000 inhabitants), is based on a properly equipped ambulance, manned with a physician and a nurse, skilled in treatment of CE. METHODS: From March 1992 to December 1994, 5000 missions were performed, 2586 (51.7%) for chest pain, 1383 (53.5%) of presumed cardiac origin. Within the latter group, 426 (30.8%) cases of AMI, 109 (7.9%) cases of suspected AMI and 848 (61.3%) cases of angina were identified and treated. Decision time in AMI patients (pts) was 189.4 +/- 289.5 min (median 73), longer in pts over 70 years and in women. By means of a direct phone line between Emergency Communication System and metropolitan Coronary Care Units (CCU), 303/423 (71.6%) AMI pts, were directly admitted to CCU. Prehospital thrombolysis (PT) was performed in 211/426 pts (49.5%), with delay from symptom onset of 126.8 +/- 106.1 min (median 93). A rtPA "front loaded" regimen was used, with a full heparin and ASA as adjunctive therapy. Exclusion criteria for PT in 215 pts were: age > 75 years in 109 pts (50.7%), delay from symptom onset > 6 hrs in 55 (25.6%), ST depression in 33 (15.3%), contraindications to thrombolysis in 18 (8.4%). Eligibility to PT was 8.1% in chest pain pts and 43.5% in pts with AMI diagnosis at discharge. Another group of 38 pts underwent thrombolysis in hospital, after a review of inclusion criteria, with a longer delay of 231 +/- 184 min (median 150). RESULTS: Out-of-hospital diagnosis was confirmed in 91% of both AMI pts and PT pts, and in 56.7% of suspected AMI pts. Overall complication rate was 32.1%, with similar rates in PT treated pts and not PT treated pts. Prehospital mortality rate was 0.7%. In-hospital mortality rate was 5.2% in PT pts with confirmed AMI, and 16.2% in not PT pts with confirmed AMI. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience confirm efficacy of out-of-hospital management of AMI within an EMS designed to treat overall CE, considering successful treatment of complications and early thrombolysis with reduction of time delay. Inclusion of SECT in the growing up "118" Emergency Medical System raises logistic questions. Process will be completed when the "medical final authority" will submit each intervention to a full evaluation in terms of efficiency and efficacy, and will not only prepare, as now happens, dispatch and intervention protocols.

Adult↗

The Unified Medical Language System: toward a collaborative approach for solving terminologic problems.

The approach taken by the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS), in which disparate terminology systems are integrated, has allowed construction of an electronic thesaurus (the Metathesaurus) that avoids imposing any restrictions upon the content, structure, or semantics of the source terminologies. As such, the UMLS has served as a unifying paradigm by providing appropriate links among equivalent entities that are used in different contexts or for different purposes. It accordingly provides a vehicle through which possibly orthogonal semantic models can co-exist within a single framework. This framework provides a model for the collaborative evolution of biomedical terminology and allows a synergistic relationship between the UMLS and its source terminology systems.

Systems Integration↗