Regenstrief Institute Goals

Optimize information capture

• Develop survey instruments, systems and standards for efficiently capturing patient-specific information, especially that which traditionally has not been subject to rigorous analysis because it has been subjective or recorded as free text (e.g., the physician's note).
• Develop mechanisms and standards to enable the pooling of patient data from many different sources (e.g., hospitals, labs, pharmacies, and national databases) with the goal of producing a population-based database.
• Develop methods for the collection and quantification of information not usually contained in the medical record such as quality of life, satisfaction with care and patient and practitioner attitudes and preferences for care options.

Optimize information analysis

• Develop improved statistical and epidemiological study designs, and methods for analysis of complex patient databases.
• Develop methods for comparisons among randomized or non-randomized groups of patients in order to evaluate the effects of risk factors or treatments.
• Develop methods to analyze longitudinal data bases in order to provide measures of outcomes in "real world" clinical settings.

Optimize information content and delivery

• Develop methods for organizing and presenting information that uses our current understanding of human cognition and behavior and considers the clinical realities of the practice of medicine to improve physician and patient decision making.
• Develop representations of current medical knowledge (text book information, published literature) in a codified and active form (e.g., guidelines) linked to specific patient states in order to improve clinical care and assess patient outcomes. This would include but not be limited to a variety of computer-based informational feedback and interventions designed to change practitioner and/or patient behavior.
• Develop and conduct controlled clinical trials examining the effectiveness of these interventions on the efficiency and quality of health care.

Process

To a great extent, achieving these goals involves or depends upon the Regenstrief Medical Record System that consists of millions of clinical observations and links to other sources of clinical knowledge. Physicians actively interact with the RMRS when making decisions about the best course of patient care.

We believe that the widespread adoption of computerized systems will be necessary for optimizing the efficiency and quality of health care and we continue to work towards that end. We also continue to evaluate, in controlled clinical trials, both computer- and non-computer based interventions for improving the efficiency and quality of health care.