SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Database”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

What is the point of databases of reviews for dermatology if all they compile is "insufficient evidence"?

BACKGROUND: The use of review databases for dermatology has been questioned because of the impression that these reviews frequently report finding insufficient evidence to guide therapeutic recommendations. OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the number of review database entries most relevant to dermatology (addressing diseases with skin manifestations whereby a dermatologist may be the primary caregiver) and the percentage of these entries that report sufficient evidence to guide clinical decision making. METHODS: We conducted computerized searches and analysis of reviews in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness. Database entries were categorized using the face value reports of the original reviewers as: (1) finding sufficient evidence to inform clinical decisions; (2) finding insufficient evidence; or (3) unable to classify with regard to degree of evidence found. RESULTS: Of all review database entries, 3% (54/1235 in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and 65/2208 in the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness) were deemed relevant to dermatology. In all, 14 entries from the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness were in the process of being written and not available for further evaluation. Of the remaining entries, 40% (42/105) reported finding sufficient evidence. Of the 10 most common dermatologic diagnoses, 8 were addressed in 30% (31/105) of these reviews. Of entries addressing common dermatologic diagnoses, 32% (10/31) reported finding sufficient evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Although few (3%) entries in review databases currently address dermatology topics, entries address many (8/10) of the top 10 dermatology diagnoses. Contrary to popular belief, a substantial number (40%) of such reviews report sufficient evidence to inform clinical decisions making.

Databases, Bibliographic↗

PubMed2001

Criminal DNA databases: the European situation.

In the last 5 years, a number of European countries have successfully introduced national databases holding the DNA profiles from suspected and convicted criminal offenders as well as from biological stain materials from unsolved crime cases. At present, DNA databases are fully or partially in operation in the UK, The Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden. Furthermore, in the other European countries, specific legislation will be enacted soon, or the introduction of such databases is being discussed to initiate a legislative process. Numerous differences exist regarding the criteria for a criminal offender to be included in the database, the storage periods and the possibility to remove database records, the possibility to keep reference samples from the offenders as long as their respective records are being held, and the role of judges in the process of entering a database record or to perform a database search. Nevertheless, harmonization has been achieved regarding the DNA information stored in national databases, and a European standard set of genetic systems has been recommended which is included either in part or completely in the DNA profiles of offenders and crime stains for all European databases. This facilitates the exchange of information from database records to allow the investigation of crime cases across national borders.

Confidentiality↗

PubMed2003

Database system, AFoDas/AVODAS, on indoor air organic compounds in Japan. Automated Formaldehyde Data Acquisition System. Automated VOC Data Acquisition System.

Building designers, engineers and occupants often need to estimate the organic compounds' levels in buildings. In order to satisfy the requirement, a web-based database, named AFoDAS/AVODAS database system is developed. The database consists of six databases for managing indoor air organic compounds' levels and building's environmental conditions. The database includes the monitoring results of about 1422 homes. The database allows users to (1) input their monitoring results to the database; (2) browse, search and query the database by a single or combinations of criteria for various query parameters such as building category, ventilation system, environment category, and compound names; and (3) estimate the organic compounds' levels resulting from various buildings and environmental conditions. This paper describes the functionality, database structure and major features of the user interface system of the database.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗

PubMed2004

Comparison of the Micro-Nutrica Nutritional Analysis program and the Russian Food Composition Database using data from the Baltic Nutrition Surveys.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the nutrient content of foods and diets based on data from two food composition databases used in the Baltic Nutrition Surveys (conducted in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1997): an adapted version of the Finnish Micro-Nutrica Nutritional Analysis program (used in Estonia) and the Russian Institute of Nutrition Food Composition Database (used in Latvia and Lithuania). DESIGN: The adapted Micro-Nutrica and Russian databases were used to estimate the energy and nutrient (protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamin C, calcium and iron) content of 15 common foodstuffs in the region and the nutrient intakes of 32 Latvian respondents (based on 24-h recalls). Differences between databases were estimated. RESULTS: There were discrepancies in the energy and nutrient content of the 15 selected foods using the two databases. The adapted Micro-Nutrica database generally gave a lower energy content than the Russian database (median: -6%), and a lower fat content for typically fat-rich foods. Intakes of energy, fat, carbohydrate and calcium by the 32 selected respondents were significantly lower when the Micro-Nutrica database was used. Differences were particularly high for fat (difference=-23.5%, 95% confidence interval=-31.1 to -15.8%, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that reported comparisons of nutrient intakes in the Baltic countries should be treated with caution and that more research is needed for the development of comparable national databases in the region. Potential differences between databases should be investigated early when international surveys of dietary intake are being planned.

Baltic States↗

PubMed2002

Virtues of a worldwide congenital heart surgery database.

The rationale for a congenital heart surgery database lies in the organized manner in which information can be compiled to accomplish programmatic evaluation, monitor clinical outcomes, comply with governmental requirements, perform retrospective and prospective clinical studies, and participate in local, national, and global improvement strategies. The task of inaugurating an effective congenital heart surgery database has taken many years and involved concurrent development efforts at multiple sites. Two such efforts took place in North America with the Society of Thoracic Surgeons Congenital Heart Surgery Database, and in Europe with the European Congenital Heart Defects Database. These initial efforts provided the impetus for development of an international congenital heart surgery database that would allow scientific exchanges on an international scale and promote multi-institutional evaluation of congenital heart surgery. Sample outcome templates from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons and the European Association for Cardio-thoracic Surgery's accepted minimum database data set are reviewed for the specific diagnostic entry ventricular septal defect, to familiarize the reader with potential available data summaries and outcome analyses, including risk stratification, when data harvest is performed. In Europe, the agreed upon minimum data set are now collected as part of the Pediatric European Cardiac Surgical Registry, while in North America users of the CardioAccess database and users of the minimum data set downloaded from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons web site are being notified of plans for a 2002 data harvest incorporating the minimum database data set. It is likely that the extant voluntary, minimal data set congenital heart surgery database will be replaced by a mandated system required by states, provinces, and countries. Data collection schemes and data validation programs will become standardized, which will result in improved data quality and uniform congenital heart center participation. As participation with valid data approaches 100% of congenital heart centers, the power and importance of the database increases exponentially. Reliable information can be used to assess residency/fellowship programs, resource allocation, major therapeutic trends, manpower issues, and in the end, all initiatives that will require accurate information.

Databases, Factual↗

PubMed2003

Food and dietary supplement databases for What We Eat in America-NHANES.

Relative strengths and potential approaches for improvement of food and dietary supplement databases used for tabulating intakes from the dietary component of the What We Eat in America-National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) are discussed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Data Laboratory develops and maintains the Nutrient Databank System (NDBS) and many nutrient-specific and population-specific databases. NDBS contains data for approximately 8,000 foods and approximately 115 components; tables for compounds of special interest are also available. Nutrient databases need constant revision because of a constantly changing food supply. The completeness of analytical data varies from nutrient to nutrient. The National Center for Health Statistics developed and maintains a database of dietary supplements based on label information. To date, no verification of ingredients has been undertaken. The development of a dietary supplement database containing analytical values would require extensive resources but would be valuable. Databases for vitamin and mineral supplements are compatible with food databases. Databases for botanicals and other supplements include nonnutrient constituents that may not be documented in food composition databases. Gaps in food and dietary supplement composition data exist because of limited resources, changing availability of foods and products and the advent of new compounds of health interest. More data are needed on nutrients and other bioactive constituents in foods and dietary supplements. Analytical methods do not exist for all ingredients or active constituents in foods and dietary supplements. Research needs for further development of meaningful food and dietary supplement databases are similar.

Databases, Factual↗

PubMed1997

Databases and software for the analysis of mutations in the human p53 gene, the human hprt gene and both the lacI and lacZ gene in transgenic rodents.

We have created databases and software applications for the analysis of DNA mutations at the humanp53gene, the humanhprtgene and both the rodent transgeniclacIandlacZlocus. The databases themselves are stand-alone dBASE files and the software for analysis of the databases runs on IBM-compatible computers. Each database has a separate software analysis program. The software created for these databases permit the filtering, ordering, report generation and display of information in the database. In addition, a significant number of routines have been developed for the analysis of single base substitutions. One method of obtaining the databases and software is via the World Wide Web (WWW). Open the following home page with a Web Browser: http://sunsite.unc.edu/dnam/mainpage.ht ml . Alternatively, the databases and programs are available via public FTP from: anonymous@sunsite.unc.edu . There is no password required to enter the system. The databases and software are found beneath the subdirectory: pub/academic/biology/dna-mutations. Two other programs are available at the site-a program for comparison of mutational spectra and a program for entry of mutational data into a relational database.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Databases and software for the analysis of mutations in the human p53 gene, human hprt gene and both the lacI and lacZ gene in transgenic rodents.

We have created databases and software applications for the analysis of DNA mutations at the human p53 gene, the human hprt gene and both the rodent transgenic lacI and lacZ loci. The databases themselves are stand-alone dBASE files and the software for analysis of the databases runs on IBM-compatible computers with Microsoft Windows. Each database has a separate software analysis program. The software created for these databases permit the filtering, ordering, report generation and display of information in the database. In addition, a significant number of routines have been developed for the analysis of single base substitutions. One method of obtaining the databases and software is via the World Wide Web. Open the following home page with a Web Browser: http://sunsite.unc.edu/dnam/mainpage. html . Alternatively, the databases and programs are available via public FTP from: anonymous@sunsite.unc.edu. There is no password required to enter the system. The databases and software are found beneath the subdirectory: pub/academic/biology/dna-mutations. Two other programs are available at the site, a program for comparison of mutational spectra and a program for entry of mutational data into a relational database.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

MIPS: a database for genomes and protein sequences.

The Munich Information Center for Protein Sequences (MIPS-GSF), Martinsried near Munich, Germany, develops and maintains genome oriented databases. It is commonplace that the amount of sequence data available increases rapidly, but not the capacity of qualified manual annotation at the sequence databases. Therefore, our strategy aims to cope with the data stream by the comprehensive application of analysis tools to sequences of complete genomes, the systematic classification of protein sequences and the active support of sequence analysis and functional genomics projects. This report describes the systematic and up-to-date analysis of genomes (PEDANT), a comprehensive database of the yeast genome (MYGD), a database reflecting the progress in sequencing the Arabidopsis thaliana genome (MATD), the database of assembled, annotated human EST clusters (MEST), and the collection of protein sequence data within the framework of the PIR-International Protein Sequence Database (described elsewhere in this volume). MIPS provides access through its WWW server (http://www.mips.biochem.mpg.de) to a spectrum of generic databases, including the above mentioned as well as a database of protein families (PROTFAM), the MITOP database, and the all-against-all FASTA database.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2001

Accuracy of administrative and trauma registry databases.

OBJECTIVE: Accurate data are needed to evaluate clinical outcomes, therapeutic modalities, and quality of care in trauma. Administrative data, usually used for billing, and trauma registries, have been used to perform these functions. This study compares data for trauma patients from administrative and trauma registry databases at a Level I trauma center. METHODS: Data from patients injured in 1998 were obtained from both the trauma registry and administrative database. These International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes signify an admitting diagnosis of trauma. Patients from each database were "matched" by admission date, medical record number, age, and name. The two matched data sets were compared for accuracy in recording data. Chi-square analysis was used to compare groups. RESULTS: There were 2,702 patients found in both databases. One hundred eighteen patients with significant trauma were recorded in the trauma registry, but not in the administrative database. Comparison of recorded data for "matched" patients is as follows. The underreporting of mechanism of injury, diagnoses, diagnostic interventions, surgical procedures, and complications was rampant throughout the administrative database. Statistical significance was seen in the comparison between the trauma registry and the administrative database with motor vehicle collisions (458 vs. 391), abdominal injuries (346 vs. 293), orthopedic injuries (1,243 vs. 1,101), and thoracic injuries (486 vs. 397). Diagnostic interventions such as diagnostic peritoneal lavage, head computed tomographic scans, and abdominal computed tomographic scans were all grossly underrecorded, with only 40%, 12%, and 9% captured by the administrative database, respectively. Analysis of surgical procedures revealed these same trends, with statistical significance seen in abdominal and orthopedic procedures. Complications such as acute respiratory distress syndrome and deep venous thrombosis showed statistically significant differences. Mortality was underreported in the administrative database, with 14 deaths omitted. CONCLUSION: This study shows that administrative data have copious omissions of specific injuries, diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, as well as complications. The trauma registry recorded more of the diagnoses, diagnostics, procedures, and outcomes in the care of trauma patients. Trauma registries may be more useful than administrative databases in assessing quality of care and diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

The Jepson Lecture 1991. Clinical databases and surgical research.

Modern science is preoccupied with basic mechanisms at the level of the gene, molecule, atom and fundamental particle. This preoccupation has affected attitudes to medical science. Paradoxically, politicians and Departments of Health are largely concerned with clinical epiphenomena--outcomes, interventions, effectiveness, efficiency--that are often disregarded by medical scientists and viewed without favour by granting bodies. In the surgical sciences, there is renewed interest in clinical research. The small computer and the readily available database with its compatible statistical package have added a new dimension to clinical research. Database design and analysis are as much a part of the surgical investigator's skills as are laboratory techniques. There are simple rules that govern database design. The database should be simple and flexible, but provide an adequate patient profile. Entry should be standardized by precise inclusion criteria and precise definitions. Data input should be numerical whenever possible. The database program should convert simply to a comprehensive statistical program. The clinical database is useful for both observational and investigational studies. Case series, case control studies and cohort studies can all be developed from well maintained databases. In the Department of Surgery at Westmead Hospital, databases have been maintained for 10 years. The hepatobiliary and pancreatic group of databases have led to 34 publications. The liver tumour database has produced 12 studies and nearly 20 papers. The process of development of one study is outlined in detail. The chance observation of an excess incidence of gallstones in patients having regular ultrasound examinations after major abdominal surgery has been confirmed in a case control study.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Clinical Protocols↗

PubMed2004

Cross sectional survey of multicentre clinical databases in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the multicentre clinical databases that exist in the United Kingdom, to report on their quality, to explore which organisational and managerial features are associated with high quality, and to make recommendations for improvements. DESIGN: Cross sectional survey, with interviews with database custodians and search of electronic bibliographic database (PubMed). STUDIES REVIEWED: 105 clinical databases across the United Kingdom. RESULTS: Clinical databases existed in all areas of health care, but their distribution was uneven-cancer and surgery were better covered than mental health and obstetrics. They varied greatly in age, size, growth rate, and geographical areas covered. Their scope (and thus their potential uses) and the quality of the data collected also varied. The latter was not associated with any organisational characteristics. Despite impressive achievements, many faced substantial financial uncertainty. Considerable scope existed for improvements: greater use of nationally approved codes; more support from relevant professional organisations; greater involvement by nurses, allied health professionals, managers, and laypeople in database management teams; and more attention to data security and ensuring patient confidentiality. With some notable exceptions, the audit and research potential of most databases had not been realised: half the databases had each produced only four or fewer peer reviewed research articles. CONCLUSIONS: At least one clinical database support unit is needed in the United Kingdom to provide assistance in organisation and management, information technology, epidemiology, and statistics. Without such an initiative, the variable picture of databases reported here is likely to persist and their potential not be realised.

Clinical Medicine↗

PubMed2003

Directory of clinical databases: improving and promoting their use.

BACKGROUND: The controversy surrounding the actual and potential use of clinical databases partly reflects the huge variation in their content and quality. In addition, use of existing clinical databases is severely limited by a lack of knowledge of their availability. OBJECTIVES: To develop and test a standardised method for assessing the quality (completeness and accuracy) of clinical databases and to establish a web based directory of databases in the UK. METHODS: An expert group was set up (1). to establish the criteria for inclusion of databases; (2). to develop a quality assessment instrument with high content validity, based on epidemiological theory; (3). to test empirically, modify, and retest the acceptability to database custodians, face validity and floor/ceiling effects; and (4). to design a website. RESULTS: Criteria for inclusion of databases were the provision of individual level data; inclusion in the database defined by a common circumstance (e.g. condition, treatment), an administrative arrangement, or an adverse outcome; and inclusion of data from more than one provider. A quality assessment instrument consisting of 10 items (four on coverage, six on reliability and validity) was developed and shown to have good face and content validity, no floor/ceiling effects, and to be acceptable to database custodians. A website (www.docdat.org) was developed. Indications over the first 18 months (number of visitors to the site) are that it is increasingly popular. By November 2002 there were around 3500 hits a month. CONCLUSIONS: A website now exists where visitors can identify clinical databases in the UK that may be suitable to meet their aims. It is planned both to develop a local version for use within a hospital and to encourage similar national systems in other countries.

Databases, Factual↗

PubMed1992

Database use in neonatal intensive care units: success or failure.

The purpose of this national survey was to define the extent and features of database use by 445 tertiary level neonatal intensive care nurseries in the United States. Of the 305 centers responding to our survey, 78% had a database in use in 1989 and 15% planned to develop one in the future. Nurseries varied remarkably in the volume of data collected, the amount of time devoted to completing data collection forms, and the personnel involved in data collection. Although data were used primarily for statistical reports (93% of nurseries), quality assurance (73%) and research activities (61%) were also enhanced by database information. Neonatal databases were used to generate reports for the permanent medical record in 38% of centers. Satisfaction with the database was dependent on how useful the database information was to centers which collected and actually used a large volume of information. Overall, nurseries expressed a high degree of confidence in the data they collected, and 65% felt their neonatal database information could be used directly in publication of research. It was disturbing that accuracy of data was not monitored formally by the majority of nurseries. Only 27% of centers followed a routine schedule of data quality assurance, and only 53% had built in error messages for data entry. We caution all who receive database information in the form of morbidity and mortality statistics, clinical reports on patients cared for in neonatal units, and published manuscripts to be attentive to the quality of the data they consume. We feel that future database design efforts need to better address data quality control. Our findings stress the importance and need for immediate efforts to better address database quality control.

Data Collection↗

PubMed1991

A protein secondary structure database (PSS).

A protein secondary structure database (PSS) has been designed to correlate the Protein Sequence Database of the PIR-International with the atomic coordinates and bond connectivities database of the Protein Data Bank in the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The present database includes secondary structures determined by X-ray diffraction analysis, but not predicted structures. The database currently contains data from both the Protein Sequence Database and the Protein Data Bank Database, and will encompass the NMR database in the future. The main characteristics of the database are as follows: (1) the secondary structures, sites, regions and domains of structural interest are displayed together with protein primary structures; and (2) the secondary structure of a desired length of peptide fragment is displayed upon request, as are the peptide fragment(s) that correspond to a defined secondary structure. This database also has software to indicate amino acid pairs having hydrogen bonds and to count the occurrence frequency of each pair as well as the conformational parameters widely used in semi-empirical methods of secondary structure prediction.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2001

The development and implementation of a computerized database for clinical research in minimal access surgery. An international pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The measurement of outcomes after minimal access surgery (MAS) relies on the maintenance of an accurate, prospective clinical database. The development of a system for data management often proves to be challenging, expensive, and extremely time-consuming. METHODS: We developed a computerized relational database for MAS using Microsoft Access 97 to reside on a hospital server, taking advantage of existing network connections, security, and backup systems. The design of the database includes a point-and-click approach with dropdown boxes for diagnoses, procedures, and complications (limited free-text entry). A fundamental feature of this database allows surgeons and surgical trainees to record clinical information at the point and time of data acquisition. RESULTS: A "beta version" or fully functional draft of the database was presented to a group of surgeons from a variety of specialties (n = 8), and a structured interview based on a questionnaire was used to elicit the surgeon's evaluations of the database. Using the information from the interviews, the database was extensively revised and restructured. CONCLUSIONS: We have developed a relational database that reflects the needs of surgeons interested in clinical research. This database may serve as a template for other centers. It can be expanded to adopt new procedures or modified for other surgical specialties.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2004

Methods for automated concept mapping between medical databases.

The retrieval and exchange of information between medical databases is often impeded by the semantic heterogeneity of concepts contained within the databases. Manual identification of equivalent database elements consumes time and resources, and may often be the rate-limiting technological step in integrating disparate data sources. By employing semantic networks as an intermediary representation of the native databases, automated mapping algorithms can identify equivalent concepts in disparate databases. The algorithms take advantage of the conceptual "context" embodied within a semantic network to produce candidate concept mappings. The performance of automated concept mapping was evaluated by creating semantic network representations for two test laboratory databases. The mapping algorithms identified all equivalent concepts that were present in the databases, and did not leave any equivalent concepts unmapped. The utilization of conceptual context to perform automated concept mapping facilitates the identification of equivalent database concepts and may help decrease the work and costs associated with retrieval and integration of information from disparate databases.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1998

A model system for studying the integration of molecular biology databases.

MOTIVATION: Integration of molecular biology databases remains limited in practice despite its practical importance and considerable research effort. The complexity of the problem is such that an experimental approach is mandatory, yet this very complexity makes it hard to design definitive experiments. This dilemma is common in science, and one tried-and-true strategy is to work with model systems. We propose a model system for this problem, namely a database of genes integrating diverse data across organisms, and describe an experiment using this model. RESULTS: We attempted to construct a database of human and mouse genes integrating data from GenBank and the human and mouse genome-databases. We discovered numerous errors in these well-respected databases: approximately 15% of genes are apparently missing from the genome-databases; links between the sequence and genome-databases are missing for another 5-10% of the cases; about a third of likely homology links are missing between the genome-databases; 10-20% of entries classified as 'genes' are apparently misclassified. By using a model system, we were able to study the problems caused by anomalous data without having to face all the hard problems of database integration. CONTACT: nat@jax.org

Animals↗