Computerised cardiological case notes

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Informatics

Background:

• The Cardiac Department at St Thomas's Hospital has utilized Optical Mark Reader (OMR) forms for six years.
• Traditional methods of storing clinical and hemodynamic data were time-consuming.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the implementation and benefits of using OMR forms for clinical and hemodynamic data storage.
• To highlight the efficiency gains and analytical capabilities of the OMR system.

Main Methods:

• OMR forms were completed by clinical staff for outpatients and cardiac catheterisation patients.
• Data from three key documents (clinical consultation, investigations, catheterisation findings) were digitized.
• Limited typed information was integrated with OMR data for report generation.

Main Results:

• The OMR system successfully stores clinical and hemodynamic data.
• Automated report generation significantly reduced secretarial and medical time.
• The system provides a variety of analyses for research and management purposes.

Conclusions:

• OMR forms offer an efficient method for managing cardiac patient data.
• The system enhances data accessibility for clinical reporting and research.
• This approach optimizes resource allocation within the cardiology department.