Patient data management systems in intensive care--the situation in Europe

Computerized Patient Data Management Systems (PDMS) have been developed for handling the enormous increase in data collection in ICUs. This study tries to evaluate the functionality of such systems installed in Europe.

Criteria reflecting usefulness and practicality formed the basis of a questionnaire to be answered accurately by the vendors. We then examined functions provided and their implementation in European ICUs. Next, an "Information Delivery Test" evaluated variations in performance, taking questions arising from daily routine work and measured time of information delivery.

ICUs located in Vienna (Austria), Antwerp (Belgium), Dortmund (Germany), Kuopio (Finland).

5 PDMS were selected on the basis of our inclusion criteria: commercial availability with at least one installation in Europe, bedside-based design, realization of international standards and a prescribed minimum of functionality.

The "Table of Functions" shows an overview of functions and their implementation. "System analyses" indicates predominant differences in properties and functions found between the systems. Results of the "Information Delivery Tests" are shown in the graphic charts.

Systems with graphical data presentation have advantages over systems presenting data mainly in numerical format. Time has come to form a medical establishment powerful enough to set standards and thus communicate with industrial partners as well as with hospital management responsible for planning, purchasing and implementing PDMS. Overall, communication between clinicians, nurses, computer scientists and PDMS vendors must be enhanced to achieve the common goal: useful and practical data management systems at ICUs.