Lancet research letter describes U-Link and MINDscape projects

U-Link is a pilot project to make medical records available immediately over the Internet to a patient’s UW and referring physicians in a confidential, secured fashion. The service is described in the June 13 edition of The Lancet.

The lead authors of the research letter are Dr. Harold Goldberg, associate professor of medicine, and Dr. Peter Tarczy-Hornoch, assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Neonatology. The international medical journal also published a commentary, “Patient Records on the Internet: A Boost for Evidence-Based Medicine” by N.M. Hjelm of The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

The UW’s Medical Information Networked Databases (MIND) is a large, relational repository of legacy registration, pharmacy, laboratory, radiology, pathology and medical transcription computing systems. Contents of this repository can be viewed graphically over standard Web browsers only by those physicians with the authority to see particular records. This encrypted Web view, called MINDscape, can verify the authenticity of physicians trying to log in. Referring physicians can see only their patients’ records in this manner and only with the consent of their patients.

The UW created this service to make patient notes and discharge summaries available to referring physicians before their patients return home for follow-up care. Now these physicians can read their patients’ dictated procedure notes online even as they are transcribed. The referring physicians can give and receive advice on the care of their patients, and obtain reference materials pertinent to their patient’s condition.

Referring physicians have followed the UW care of their patients from as far away as Ketchikan, Alaska.

Every month the test group of referring physicians enlarges. MINDscape will soon be more widely offered to physicians referring patients to the UW from Washington state, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.

Co-authoring The Lancet June 13 research letter on U-Link were Kari Stephens, senior computing specialist at UW Medical Center, Dr. Eric Larson, professor of medicine and medical director of UW Medical Center, and Dr. James LoGerfo, professor of medicine and medical director of Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. ¶

Leila Gray