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The Data-Gathering Broker--A User-Based Approach to Viable EPR Systems
Michael Rigby1, David Budgen, Pearl Brereton
1Centre for Health Planning and Management, Darwin Building, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG, United Kingdom. m.j.rigby@hpm.keele.ac.uk
Studies in Health Technology and Informatics
|September 15, 2005
Summary
European health informatics faces challenges with Electronic Patient Record systems. An information broker system offers a solution by searching, copying, and merging data from distributed sources in real-time.
Area of Science:
- Health Informatics
- Data Management
- Electronic Health Records
Background:
- Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems are expanding rapidly in Europe without sufficient evidence or future-proofing.
- This rapid expansion risks overwhelming end-users with excessive data ('data swamping').
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and demonstrate an alternative approach to current EPR system expansion.
- To develop a system that addresses data integration challenges in health and social care.
Main Methods:
- A three-year study was conducted in health and social care settings.
- An information broker system demonstrator was developed.
- The system searches heterogeneous distributed data stores, copies data with source-specific permissions, and merges results in real-time.
Main Results:
- A functional demonstrator for an information broker system was successfully produced.
- The system enables real-time searching, selective data copying, and merging of information from distributed sources.
- The approach offers a viable alternative to widespread EPR adoption.
Conclusions:
- The information broker system presents a promising alternative to current EPR expansion strategies.
- This approach mitigates the risk of data swamping for end-users.
- Real-time data integration from heterogeneous sources is achievable in health and social care.