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Over the past years the number of medical registries has increased sharply. Their value strongly depends on the quality of the data contained in the registry. To optimize data quality, special procedures have to be followed. A literature review and a case study of data quality formed the basis for the development of a framework of procedures for data quality assurance in medical registries. Procedures in the framework have been [...]

To extend the Clinical LOINC (Logical Observation Identifiers, Names, and Codes) semantic schema to support (1) the representation of common types of assessment instruments and (2) the disambiguation of versions and variants that may have differing reliability and validity.

This article describes the design of a generator tool for rapid application development. The generator tool is an integral part of a healthcare information system, and newly developed applications are embedded into the healthcare information system from the very beginning. The tool-generated applications are based on a document oriented user interaction paradigm. A significant feature is the support of intra- and interdepartmental clinical processes by means of providing document flow [...]

This article describes an innovative software toolkit that allows the creation of web applications that facilitate the acquisition, integration, and dissemination of multimedia biomedical data over the web, thereby reducing the cost of knowledge sharing. There is a lack of high-level web application development tools suitable for use by researchers, clinicians, and educators who are not skilled programmers. Our Web Interfacing Repository Manager (WIRM) is a software toolkit that reduces [...]

In addition to providing new capabilities, the introduction of technology in complex, sociotechnical systems, such as health care and aviation, can have unanticipated side effects on technical, social, and organizational dimensions. To identify potential accidents in the making, the authors looked for side effects from a natural experiment, the implementation of bar code medication administration (BCMA), a technology designed to reduce adverse drug events (ADEs).

To evaluate the benefits of computerized physician order entry (POE) and electronic medication administration record (eMAR) on the delivery of health care.

To develop a technique for recognizing critical situations based on laboratory results in settings in which a normal range cannot be defined, because what is "normal" differs widely from patient to patient. To assess the potential of this approach for kidney transplant recipients, where recognition of acute rejections is based on the pattern of changes in serum creatinine.

The 2001 U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) Biomedical Informatics Roadmap Meeting was devoted to developing a strategic plan in four focus areas: Hospital and Clinical Informatics, E-Health, Combat Health Informatics, and Bioinformatics and Biomedical Computation. The driving force of this Roadmap Meeting was the recent accelerated pace of change in biomedical informatics in which emerging technologies have the potential to affect significantly the Army research portfolio and [...]

Computer technology from the management of individual patient medical records to the tracking of epidemiologic trends has become an essential part of all aspects of modern medicine. Consequently, computers, including bedside components, point-of-care testing equipment, and handheld computer devices, are increasingly present in patients' rooms. Recent articles have indicated that computer hardware, just as other medical equipment, may act as a reservoir for microorganisms and contribute to the transfer of [...]