Modeling Hospital Information Systems (Part 2): Using the 3LGM² Tool for Modeling Patient Record Management

Summary

Objectives: We introduce the 3LGM² tool, a tool for modeling information systems, and describe the process of modeling parts of the hospital information system of the Leipzig University Hospital (UKL[a]). We modeled the sub information systems of five patient record archiving sections to support the creation of a proposal for governmental financial support for a new document management and archiving system. We explain the steps of identifying the model elements and their relations as well as the analyzing capabilities of the 3LGM² tool to answer questions about the information system.

Methods: The 3LGM² tool was developed on the basis of the meta model 3LGM² which is described in detail in [1]. 3LGM² defines an ontological basis, divided into three layers and their relationships. In addition to usual meta CASE tools, the 3LGM² tool meets certain requirements of information management in hospitals. The model described in this article was created on the base of on-site surveys in five archiving sections of the UKL.

Results: A prototype of the 3LGM² tool is available and is currently tested in some projects at the UKL and partner institutions. The model presented in this article is a structured documentation about the current state of patient record archiving at the UKL. The analyzing capabilities of the 3LGM² tool help to use the model and to answer questions about the information system.

Conclusions: The 3LGM² tool can be used to model and analyze information systems. The presentation capabilities and the reliability of the prototype have to be improved. The initial modeling effort of an institution is only valuable if the model is maintained regularly and reused in other projects. Reference catalogues and reference models are needed to decrease this effort and to support the creation of comparable models.

Keywords

Information management - hospital information systems - models (theoretical) - information management - organizational model - 3LGM² - computerized models - documentation - patient record

^a UKL is the official abbrevations of the Ger-man name Universitätsklinikum Leipzig

• References

• 1 Winter A, Brigl B, Wendt T. Modeling Hospital Information Systems (Part 1): The Revised Three-Layer Graph-Based Meta Model 3LGM2. Methods Inf Med 2003; 42: 544-51.
• 2 Winter AF, Ammenwerth E, Bott OJ, Brigl B, Buchauer A, Gräber S. et al. Strategic Information Management Plans: The Basis for systematic Information Management in Hospitals. International Journal of Medical Informatics 2001; 64 2-3 99-109.
• 3 Berg M. Patient care information systems and health care work: A sociotechnical approach. International Journal of Medical Informatics 1999; 55: 87-101.
• 4 Quatrani T. Visual Modeling with Rational Rose 2002 and UML. Boston: Addison-Wesley; 2002
• 5 Heverhagen T, Tracht R. Using Stereotypes of the Unified Modeling Language in Mechatronic Systems. In: Proc. of the 1. International Conference on Information Technology in Mecha tronics, ITM’01, October 1-3, 2001, Istanbul, UNESCO Chair on Mechatronics. Istanbul: Bogazici University, Istanbul, Turkey; 2001: 333-8.
• 6 Ebert J, Süttenbach R, Uhe I. Meta-CASE in Practice: a Case for KOGGE. In Olive A, Pastor JA. (eds.) Advanced Information Systems Engineering, Proceedings of the 9th International Conference, CAiSE’97, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, June 16-20, 1997. 1250 ed. Berlin: 1997: 203-16.
• 7 Noy NF, Grosso W, Musen MA. Knowledge-Acquisition Interfaces for Domain Experts: An Empirical Evaluation of Protégé-2000. Twelfth International Conference on Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering (SEKE2000). Chicago, IL: 2000
• 8 Dujat C, Schmücker P, Haux R, Winter A. Digital Optical Archiving of Medical Records in Hospital Information Systems – A Practical Approach towards the Electronic Patient Record?. Methods Inf in Med 1995; 34 (05) 489-97.
• 9 Atkinson CJ, Peel VJ. Transforming a hospital through growing, not building, an electronic patient record system. Methods Inf Med 1998; 37 (03) 285-93.
• 10 Winter A, Haux R. A Three-Level Graph-Based Model for the Management of Hospital Information Systems. Methods Inf Med 1995; 34 (04) 378-96.
• 11 Spewak SH, Hill SC. Enterprise Architecture Planning: Developing a blueprint for Data, Applications and Technology. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 1992
• 12 Klein GO. Standardization of health informatics – results and challenges. In Haux R, Kulikowski C. (eds.) Yearbook of Medical Informatics 02. Stuttgart: Schattauer; 2002: 103-114.
• 13 Schadow G, Russler DC, Mead CN, McDonald CJ. Integrating medical information and knowl knowledge in the HL7 RIM. Proc AMIA Symp. 2000: 764-8.
• 14 Griffith SM, Kalra D, Lloyd DS, Ingram D. A portable communicative architecture for electronic healthcare records: the Good European Healthcare Record project (Aim project A2014). Medinfo 1995; 8 Pt 1 223-6.
• 15 Ammenwerth E, Buchauer A, Haux R. A Requirements Index for Information Processing in Hospitals. Methods Inf Med 2002; 41 (04) 282-8.