Masahiro Yakami MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Takeshi Kubo MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Koji Fujimoto MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Koji Sakai, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Hiroyuki Sekiguchi, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yutaka Emoto MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Kaori Togashi MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

A search program for finding cases across multiple data tables of a hospital database has been implemented successfully.

Hospital information systems (HIS) are currently widely used. It is technically possible to search for records in a HIS using complex search criteria, since these are typically stored in a database system, such as a relational database. Nevertheless, the vast amounts of data are not fully utilized in clinical research, as database systems are accessible only to experts in information and communication technology (ICT). To find patients satisfying a condition, clinical researchers usually resort to using user interfaces for digital medical records, which were originally designed to view or update a single patient record at a time. For clinical research, we propose a user-friendly interactive program to find all records in multiple data tables satisfying the complex search criteria.  

The main form of this program contains a list box for the patient IDs and multiple tab pages. The ID list can be saved in a database, and loaded at any time. Multiple ID lists can also be saved in the database. Each tab page contains a search interface for data tables, and a search results list. This program supports searching for basic patient information, medical records, summaries, disease lists, laboratory data, prescriptions, injections, and reports on diagnostic imaging, pathology, endoscopy, ultrasound, and so on. The ID list can also be used as a search criterion. The program also supports interactive set operations, namely the union, intersection, and difference of the ID list on the main form and in the search results. This interface enables non-ICT experts to search multiple data tables using complex criteria interactively, without using a command line or any computer language like SQL. This program can also be used as a complete information viewer for a single patient, as the patient’s ID can be set as the search condition in each search tab page.  

This program enables users to check search results and to modify the search criteria interactively, thereby helping users gain insight into the target data.

Yakami, M, Kubo, T, Fujimoto, K, Sakai, K, Sekiguchi, H, Emoto, Y, Togashi, K, Development of a User-friendly Interactive Search Program to Find Cases across Multiple Data Tables of a Hospital Database Using Complex Search Criteria.  Radiological Society of North America 2011 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 26 - December 2, 2011 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2011/11002430.html