Clinical database: Structure, development strategies and expected clinical applications

The paper provides the description of a database developed to include in a quite structured format most clinical data used for patient management in a hospital setting. The system was aimed at achieving a reasonable compromise between the significant but complex solutions the research offers and the real needs of medical practice. First of all, the paper defines the requirements for designing a computerized clinical database according to a patient-centered clinical approach. Then, it describes the structure of a prototype aimed at classifying clinical data as a hierachy and describing them according to a structural approach. Next, problems related to the management and upgrading of the system are identified and possible solutions described, with a particular emphasis or knowledge acquisition, refinement and specialization, and on problems related to the functional aspects required for clinical applications. Finally, some meaningful clinical applications are outlined, which use the computerized clinical database as the standard for knowledge organization and data sharing.