World-Wide Web-based graphical user interfaces for laboratory data

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Health Information Technology
• Data Visualization

Background:

• Electronic medical record systems often present data in fixed formats, hindering efficient information retrieval.
• Healthcare providers need streamlined access to patient data for effective clinical decision-making.
• Navigating extensive laboratory data in traditional formats can be time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly customizable, graphical user interface (GUI) for the Mayo Clinic laboratory information system.
• To provide healthcare providers with immediate access to specific laboratory information.
• To enhance the usability and interpretability of laboratory data for patient-provider interactions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a platform-independent, World-Wide-Web-based graphical user interface.
• Integration with the Mayo Clinic laboratory information system.
• Utilization of Java technology for graphical display and Perl for data processing.

Main Results:

• The GUI allows visualization of all or selected laboratory data in graphical format.
• Features include internet-based workstation availability, trend recognition, zoom capabilities, and detailed analysis against normal values.
• The system offers immediate recognition of laboratory data trends over time.

Conclusions:

• A web browser-based GUI using Java technology facilitates graphical display of laboratory data.
• The system integrates with the Mayo Clinic laboratory information system, offering cross-platform compatibility.
• The combination of Perl and Java ensures powerful data processing and interactivity for enhanced usability.