Intranet-based multi-purpose medical records in orthopaedics

Quality assurance in orthopaedics-as in any medical speciality - relies on precise medical records. Data quality is crucial for statistical evaluation; missing values cannot be avoided but must be minimized. The quality assurance system must be accessible from many locations within the clinic; given the complex and heterogeneous computing infrastructure this is a technological challenge. Intranet technology - the application of internet-tools in local networks-can help to solve the technical problems. A generic Intranet-based quality assurance system in orthopaedics was designed, implemented and evaluated. The basic concept is an intranet data entry form which is generated semiautomatically from the data definition. This form is adapted according to the individual needs of the doctors (intelligent data entry). By flexible data transformation the same data set is used for clinical reports as well as scientific evaluations. The first use was for ultrasound examinations of neonatal hips. A report form consisting of 56 items was designed. Within the first 9-month period 1303 cases have been documented.