title: A data-gathering broker as a future-orientated approach to supporting EPR users.
abstract: With the continued expansion of electronic patient record systems ahead of comprehensive evidence, metrics, or future-proofing, health informatics in Europe and beyond is embarking on a faith-driven adventure that also risks data swamping of end-users. An alternative approach is an information broker system, drawing from departmental data sources. A 3-year study in health and social care has produced a first demonstrator which can search for specified information in heterogeneous distributed data stores, with source-specific permission can copy it, and then merge the search results into one integrated picture in a real-time process which is also captured in an audit system. The research project has addressed a number of issues during the study, including updating the concepts of role-based access, semantic interoperability, and harnessing web-based services bound at the time of need. A demonstrator now exists, and provides a platform for further application and development research. This paper summarises how this opens up a viable alternative approach for the next generation of health record systems, enabling record searching and integration as and when it is needed for specific patient-related purposes, whilst being independent of organisations, diagnostic approaches, or service delivery structures, and reducing the risks of data swamping.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health Planning and Management, Darwin Building, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire, UK. m.j.rigby@hpm.keele.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rigby
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Budgen
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kotsiopoulos
authors.forename: Pearl
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brereton
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Keane
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Layzell
authors.forename: Fujun
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D022126:Access to Information; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D019451:Information Management / Q000379:methods*; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D020407:Internet; D008491:Medical Informatics Applications; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012984:Software