E. Tyler

A loosely coupled framework for terminology controlled distributed EHR search for patient cohort identification in clinical research

Heterogeneous data models and coding schemes for electronic health records present challenges for automated search across distributed data sources. This paper describes a loosely coupled software framework based on the terminology controlled approach to enable the interoperation between the search interface and heterogeneous data sources. Software components interoperate via common terminology service and abstract criteria model so as to promote component reuse and incremental system evolution.

Standardised representation of healthcare information in secondary care research: a Central England case study.

Interoperability and reuse of healthcare information, for patient care and clinical research, rely on standardised approaches in its representation. The medical domain is rich with terminologies and dictionaries to support the representation of clinical data, but these are not necessarily interoperable. Secondary care research has long been conducted with study-specific requirements, and the valuable information collected was, however, difficult to reuse and share due to incomplete data collection and its non-standard representation. As a way to resolve some of these issues, we are designing and building sustainable database applications that clinicians and researchers alike can use as research registries, with the main aim to have research-quality healthcare information for future research studies and trials. This paper looks at a case study of how these applications are being developed in Central England through the use of controlled vocabularies. Specialty teams are keen to improve the interoperability, sharing and reuse of health information within and across specialties.

Modelling a user authorisation and data access framework for multi-specialty research systems in secondary health care

Patient identification and consequent recruitment in clinical trials is normally preceded with searches on electronic health record (EHR) systems. Query results may be collated across multiple health organisations and specialties. In such scenarios, a prime concern is the possibility of systems and their users inadvertently or otherwise impinging on the privacy of patients. Access to patient data is crucial for research purposes, but the degree of access must be controlled in such a way that it conforms to agreed legal, organisational and ethical policies. In this paper, we present a proposed model for managing a dynamic matrix of roles and data access privileges within the context of research systems in secondary care.