Research project AG/EE/068 (Research action AG)
Description of the project
Creating and making accessible a central institution database, coupled to the existing registration systems as MCD (Minimal Clinical Data), MND (Minimal Nursing Data) and MPD ( Minimal Psychiatric Data).
Today the different types of institutions are more or less well updated in various ways, using different methods and platforms. Moreover, this "updating" requires a great deal of manual (and often redundant) labour. Working in this way means that information can get ´lost´ and mistakes can be made... An example is the updating of the bed indexes. These are authorised by the Communities. The federal government is informed of them by ministerial decree. These ministerial decrees are currently processed at different places and in different systems in several locations.
There is no clear definition framework or metadata.
The objective is firstly to expand the existing ´central hospital file´ to include all institutions, and secondly to expand it in such a way that the functionalities meet the needs of all users, including the three directorates of the Health Care Administration ....
First of all, institutions such as the sheltered living services, RVT (retirement homes), PVT (psychiatric treatment homes) and so on must be included, and the care providers, doctors, paramedics, etc. must also be integrated.
Complete historicity, responsibility centralised per domain for the maintenance, access for everyone with accompanying security aspect (…), are several of the basic functionalities.
The ´feeding´ of the system must be analysed in detail. Among other things, one must examine whether no direct data exchange is possible with the CCD, "the Common Customer Database" of the Flemish Community. This implementation fits perfectly within the framework of e-government. This study includes both the functional aspects (ERD scheme (Entity Relationship Diagramming), data dictionary, etc.) and technical aspects (use replication, XML, etc.). Among other things, one must look at what is usable and feasible. When using the CCD, for example, the identification must be studied so that it could also be used for the financing of the various services within the hospital. A form of structured communication must be developed.
Another part of this project is making these data accessible. For each target group subsets must be published, via Internet, extranet and intranet.
The project must be finalised by the end of 2002. The presumed completion time is 1 year.
Both technical expertise in the field of technical architecture, definition and establishment of communication platforms, analytical techniques (...) and functional expertise is aimed for.
Work which must be performed by the scientific team
A multidisciplinary team is required. Along with the conceptual development of the logical data model, the determination of the metadata, the definitions accepted by all sectors, the legal framework concerning the use of the data for various objectives, as well as the validation of these data.
Finished product which must be delivered by the scientific team:
Input is expected from the team in the various phases of the project. Very briefly, the following project schedule can be postulated.
- conceptual phase: actively participating and reporting in the following facets of the definition study : needs analysis, definition of framework, metadata, legal framework
- analytical phase : detailed analysis (ERD, process flow, data flow?
- development: programming and first tests will be performed by the administration itself. However, the team is asked to participate actively in the test phase. They are in an ideal position to test whether the needs expressed in the conceptual and analytical phase are fulfilled in the finished product. Further, they can participate in the delivery of the finished product.
Utilisation of the result
The final result clearly has several facets:
- there is integration within the internal functioning of the management. The CIC must become the "clearing house" for all applications - those presently existing and those to be developed in the future. Added value is obtained inter alia by minimising the manual work and centralising the data, as well as by defining and standardising the data flow.
- This central institution file must serve as the clearing house for all data warehouse applications and production environments within the Health Care Administration
- the data is being made available for the following reasons (naturally, the necessary security layers must be built in):
- firstly, so that our ´clientele´ (i.e. the hospitals, among others) can much more quickly and efficiently analyse their feedback, globalisation, etc., adapt their own identifying data, perform detailed analyses of the various registrations;
- secondly, this will also permit the general public to consult the (always up-to-date) data online;
- thirdly, specific authorities (e.g. universities) will be able to perform certain studies and analyses via this medium.
Institution
Ministry of Public Health
Health Care Administration
Modèle d'un système d'information central des institutions de soins de santé : rapport final
Bruxelles : Politique scientifique fédérale, 2004 (SP1389)
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