Amir Kushnir, Robyn Rubin, Elena Chulsky, Daniel Zohar and Shay Barak
Abstract Introduction: Patient records as we see them today are constantly developing and with present day innovations it is clear that "the sky is the limit" for obtaining a complete record and clear picture about the patient's medical history. It is our belief that a complete medical record from as early as the first moments of life initiated immediately after birth can be most effective to physicians and other medical staff treating patients, especially in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Overview of technology: Documents are coupled to the content identifiers and conveyed to the data warehouse via the various transfer protocols. Once a patient is transferred to an external medical center, the receiving institution can access the electronic patient record, treat the patient and contribute their information accordingly. Discussion: To avoid mismatching of information we recommend that every newborn is immediately allocated with a permanent Patient Identification Number (PID), with very little or no updates to the Hospital Information System (HIS). Every change in patient demography has the potential to cause inaccurate patient records. It is imperative that patient Information be extracted with no delay enabling immediate treatment. Conclusion: An efficient data warehouse with accurate and easily accessible patient information in a data sharing system make medical records available from across health systems and locations thus eliminating unnecessary and duplicate tests as well as providing information necessary for treatment of those very young patients.
