Using a computer-based patient record for quality management in surgery.
Our first generation hospital information system is in routine use since 1989. The patient data are used for multiple clinical purposes: operation scheduling, reminder for patient care, case retrieval for research and education, and so on. The computer-based patient record was complemented by a flexible PC-based query and report facility for quality management. A regular export of patient data from the host is translated into a relational database model and assessed via the standard of Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) by a statistical analysis tool. Herewith, descriptive and analytical statistics become available to support the clinical departments in patient care. Concerning the migration of first generation systems to modern architectures the presented approach has to be compared with strategies of replacement and capsulation. A decision on the strategy applied should take into account local resources and opportunities.