title: Patientsmate©: the implementation and evaluation of an online prospective audit system.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Inaccuracy in Hospital Inpatient Enquiry (HIPE)/Casemix-based data has been reported as high as 26%. This results in financial waste and makes effective audit impossible. We aimed to develop a novel web-based outcome audit system.
  
  
  METHODS
  A web-based online audit system, Patientsmate©, was developed using an integrated database system written in the programme language PHP. Data were inputted by the surgical team responsible for the patients care. A prospective comparison study of the new Patientsmate© and the standard HIPE systems, was performed over a 1-month period and involving two general surgical teams in April 2010. In addition, a Likert-scale based questionnaire was designed and hosted within the Patientsmate© system. A focus group of those clinicians directly involved in data accessing and input were then invited to complete the questionnaire in order to assess usability of the system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period there were a total of 108 patients and 88 procedures. Our study confirms the accuracy of clinician derived data, with the Patientsmate© system more accurately recording number of patients (83% vs. 80.6%), number of procedures (85.2% vs. 68.1%) and hospital day case rate (52% vs. 47.1%). Inputting data using Patientsmate© for a single patient took 6-7 minutes. Of those using the system, 75% reported feeling comfortable after using it once only and 100% were satisfied with the layout of the online interface.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Patientsmate© system allows for increased accuracy in outcome-based data as compared with the HIPE system, facilitating audit, financial savings and the appropriate allocation of services.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. seamusmchugh@rcsi.ie
authors.forename: Seamus Mark
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McHugh
authors.forename: Kah Poh
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Loh
authors.forename: Mark Anthony
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Corrigan
authors.forename: Athar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lehane
authors.forename: Arnold David Konrad
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000379:methods*; D011381:Programming Languages; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014584:User-Computer Interface