IT Infrastructure for Biomedical Research in North-West Germany

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Biomedical Research Infrastructure
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Efficient biomedical research relies on robust IT infrastructure within healthcare facilities.
• Routine health data holds significant potential for research but requires appropriate systems for access and analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the IT infrastructure in hospitals and general practitioners' (GPs) practices in the Oldenburg-Bremen region.
• To evaluate the suitability of existing IT infrastructure for supporting research projects utilizing routine data.

Main Methods:

• Interviews were conducted with IT managers in hospitals and GPs.
• The study focused on the utilization of Hospital Information Systems (HIS) and Data Warehouse Systems (DWS) in hospitals.
• Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems in GP practices were also assessed.

Main Results:

• Over 90% of hospitals use DWS for administration, with 42% using it for clinical research.
• No hospitals have implemented patient consent mechanisms for using routine data in research.
• GP practices' EHR systems offer minimal support for research projects, and only a third of GPs have participated in studies.

Conclusions:

• The current IT infrastructure in hospitals and GP practices in the Oldenburg-Bremen region is inadequately equipped to support research using routine health data.
• Technical and organizational advancements are essential to facilitate the effective use of routine data for biomedical research in this region.