A simplified HyperCard data base for patient management in an interventional practice: experience with more than 4000...

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Radiology
• Health Information Systems

Background:

• Effective tracking of interventional radiology procedures is crucial for patient care, quality management, and training.
• Traditional computer databases often require excessive data entry, posing challenges in high-volume practices.
• A need exists for a user-friendly system that integrates with daily workflow.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel database system for tracking abdominal interventional radiology cases.
• To create a system that minimizes data entry burden for radiologists.
• To provide daily, actionable information for patient management and practice improvement.

Main Methods:

• A HyperCard-based database system was developed on Macintosh personal computers.
• Each procedure generated a card in a 'Current Cases' stack, producing a daily log.
• Inactive patient records were archived and searchable for research and follow-up.

Main Results:

• The system successfully logged 4322 procedures in 2394 patients over 3 years.
• Ninety percent of data entry was handled by administrative staff, reducing radiologist burden.
• The daily log facilitated case conferences, enabling error correction and comment entry.
• Independent searches confirmed the system's accuracy in identifying cases.

Conclusions:

• The developed database system promotes consistent use through easy data entry and error correction.
• The system provides valuable daily information, enhancing patient management and quality control in interventional radiology.
• This approach demonstrates a sustainable method for managing procedural data within a radiology practice.