MEDOS uses post-relational Caché to create an integrated multimedia patient record application for the Web

Key Benefits

• Multidimensional Data Model
• Web Technology

It's the age-old problem that arises when supporting medical facilities: How do you pull together information into a single patient record when the data is scattered across many departments, computer platforms, and storage devices? MEDOS, an InterSystems VAR with over 20 years of experience in hospital information systems throughout Central Europe and Scandinavia, solved the problem by utilizing a Web front end and Caché, InterSystems' post-relational database. By using Caché, MEDOS was able to provide its existing users with a modern front end and make its application a single source of information with all relevant medical data in the hospital.

"Only Caché can give us the performance that our customers require."

- Horst-Dieter Struter
Managing Director
MEDOS

"One of the special features of our software is that the users can create their own definitions of menus, forms, and organization structures," said Horst-Dieter Struter, managing director at MEDOS. "The resulting data structures are complex and require a very flexible approach for storing and displaying information. Under these circumstances, only Caché can give us the performance that our customers require. We believe that a Web browser is the ideal front end for our users because it provides them with a standardized way to access the various sources of information throughout the hospital. In our application, we build on the capabilities of modern Web browsers to present this distributed information in the form of an integrated multimedia patient record."

The MEDOS application uses Caché to store the location of all patient-related information-images, voice, lab results, etc.,-no matter where the information physically resides. The Web-based interface allows MEDOS to present a superabundance of distributed information as if it were stored in one database, giving large hospitals a central point of access for all patient-related data. The new front end thereby allowed MEDOS to add value to its existing application, plus it gives medical organizations the flexibility to run PCs running Windows or NT, terminals, or any combination of client.

"The main point to this story is the performance."

- Birgid Eberhard
Head of Development
MEDOS

Birgid Eberhard, head of development at MEDOS, explains how it works: "Medical data is highly complex because so many different factors are related. This just can not be depicted in simple relational tables. Caché very naturally stores complex structured data in sparse multidimensional arrays and can even keep track of data stored in other databases or systems. For the new version of the MEDOS application, we used these capabilities and created advanced functionality like an integrated document management system, a digital image archive (PACS), and a dictation system with optional voice recognition." MEDOS's efforts finally paid off-over 2,800 users switched over to the new technology within the first three months and customer satisfaction is high.

"The main point to this story is the performance," said Eberhardt. "We guarantee our users that they get access to all information whenever they need it. This is extremely important-one must keep in mind that in a medical environment like ours Caché really can save lives."