Data Dictionary - Project description
Background
Various medical experts (e.g. cardiologists and surgeons) as well as medical facilities (study centers, university clinics, hospitals) work together to carry out cardiological studies. Participating specialists and facilities collect a multitude of data; however, for the most part this data is not uniformly defined or documented. This can result in inconsistencies in the understanding of medical terms and in the interpretation of medical data. In order to minimize such discrepancies, it is necessary to develop a uniform data dictionary, which gives clear and sound definitions of medical terms.
Up to now, there has never been a medical data dictionary that takes different expert views adequately into account and is suitable for a variety of applications (study protocols, digital documentation sheets (case record form [CRF]), study management software). It is therefore necessary to develop a data dictionary that includes the various expert points of view and offers term definitions that can be used for different systems (paper-based, computer-based).
Objective
The semantically accurate data dictionary will contribute to medical quality assurance. The data contained in the data dictionary should be available to a community of diverse medical experts. Furthermore, it is essential to promote the collaboration of international experts, because only in this way can the data dictionary contribute over the long term to the worldwide standardization of treatment methods in the field of cardiology.
Implementation
The „Onto-Builder“ software developed by the Onto-Med research group (www.onto-med.de) will be used. The requirements for terms and definitions (particularly for the basic record) of the Heart Failure Competence Network will be specified in detail in a corresponding data dictionary model. Likewise, the entry of the basic record generated within the Heart Failure Competence Network in the Onto-Builder as well as quality assurance will be organized and the approval of the terms entered in the data dictionary will be implemented.
Added value via networking
The link between the Heart Failure Competence Network and the data dictionary project is an outstanding one, because numerous specialists with different views of medical issues work together within the competence network. These experts possess specialist medical knowledge (e.g. in cardiology) as well as knowledge of carrying out studies (e.g. biometrics) which is indispensable for the development of a data dictionary for cardiological studies. The data dictionary for cardiological studies provides a uniform basic terminology for the Heart Failure Competence Network that supports the harmonization of study databases and the interaction between study management software and hospital information systems. In addition, the data dictionary facilitates reusability of precise definitions of medical terms in various contexts. This is especially relevant with regard to optimizing the preparation of study protocols and CRFs as well as to the improvement of the comparability of study results. The interactive capability between software systems and improved study comparability are essential prerequisites for vertical and horizontal networking.