Presented at the 1998 APIII Conference Return to 1998 Abstract Index
AUTOPSY ASSISTANT ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB: A PROTOTYPE FOR AN INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL DATABASE
Duke
University Medical Center
Durham, North Carolina
Rajesh C. Dash MD
John R. Haldi
Alan D. Proia, MD, PhD
Easy and reliable access to medical records is a necessity for patient care. Unfortunately, even within a single institution, such access is often suboptimal. Paper-based records are often damaged, misplaced, or lost entirely. While computer-based medical records offer a vast improvement in both reliability and access, many information systems in place today limit access to an individual department within a single institution. In the past few years, implementation of an integrated electronic patient medical record has been in the spotlight in the informatics community. Such a record would ideally encompass all information pertinent to patient care including diverse topics such as clinical history, radiology, laboratory data, and anatomic pathology.
One step beyond the concept of an integrated medical record, is the concept of an international integrated medical database. Such a system would be multi-institutional (or perhaps "non-institutional" is a better descriptor). A centralized international medical database would provide easy, reliable, and complete access to medical records regardless of location. It would also provide a revolutionary research tool for physicians and scientists by allowing unparalleled access to "live" medical information.
The “Autopsy Assistant on the World Wide Web” project, while focusing on the field of autopsy pathology, is a prototype for a full-fledged international medical database that leverages the latest, cutting-edge Internet technologies. It facilitates data entry through robust use of templates and automated SNOWMED coding. Data analysis and data-mining tools enhance retrieval and manipulation of entered data. Finally, rich dynamic HTML formatting (an Internet Web document format) provides professional and flexible reporting of data, including multimedia content. Designed to be open for use by any institution around the globe with Internet access, "Autopsy Assistant on the World Wide Web" provides a glimpse into the future of medical information systems.
