Microcomputer database and system of audit for the vascular surgeon

Area of Science:

• Vascular Surgery
• Health Informatics
• Database Management

Background:

• Effective data management is crucial in vascular surgery for clinical review and research.
• Existing systems may lack flexibility or require specialized programming knowledge.
• The Repatriation General Hospital, Concord, sought to enhance its vascular unit's data handling capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a prospective vascular database using commercially available, user-friendly software.
• To streamline the recording of patient admissions, surgical indications, operations, complications, and follow-up data.
• To create a versatile tool for teaching, unit audit, and improved clinical communication.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of 'Dataease' software on an IBM personal computer for database development.
• A menu-driven interface designed for direct data entry by medical staff (interns, residents, registrars).
• Development of over 100 customized reports for data analysis, including graft patency rates.

Main Results:

• Successful establishment of a prospective vascular database since January 1989.
• Facilitation of direct data entry, serving as an educational and review tool.
• Simplified unit audits and generation of customized reports, including complex analyses.
• Improved communication with general practitioners through 'instant' discharge letters.

Conclusions:

• The implemented vascular database system effectively enhances data management in a clinical setting.
• User-friendly software enables efficient data collection and analysis without extensive programming expertise.
• The system demonstrably improves clinical review, audit processes, and inter-professional communication.