A data-gathering broker as a future-orientated approach to supporting EPR users

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Information Systems
• Data Management

Background:

• Electronic patient record (EPR) systems are expanding rapidly without sufficient evidence or future-proofing.
• This rapid expansion risks overwhelming end-users with excessive data, a phenomenon known as data swamping.
• Current health informatics approaches in Europe and globally are often described as a 'faith-driven adventure' due to these challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate an alternative approach to current EPR systems using an information broker system.
• To address the challenges of data swamping and improve the integration of patient information.
• To develop a platform for future research and application in health and social care record systems.

Main Methods:

• A 3-year study in health and social care was conducted.
• Developed a demonstrator for an information broker system.
• The system searches heterogeneous distributed data stores, copies data with source-specific permission, and merges results in real-time.
• Addressed issues including role-based access, semantic interoperability, and web-based services.

Main Results:

• A functional demonstrator of the information broker system was successfully created.
• The system enables real-time searching, copying, and integration of specified information from distributed data stores.
• An audit system captures the real-time data integration process.
• Key issues such as role-based access and semantic interoperability were updated and addressed.

Conclusions:

• The information broker system presents a viable alternative for next-generation health record systems.
• It enables on-demand patient record searching and integration, independent of organizational structures.
• This approach significantly reduces the risks associated with data swamping for end-users.