Electronic Protocol for Systematic Data Collection of Burn Patients: A Proposal to Standardize Burn Patient Data

Abstract

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Burn patients usually present with a long medical history and require a prolonged management that makes the process of collecting and storing information complex and confusing. Electronic health records have been deployed to replace or supplement existing paper-based records and can improve the quality of health care. A system that completely addresses the needs of patient care providers and researchers probably does not exist, and this integration would reduce redundant data collection. Here, we share our experiences with a customizable and standardized electronic protocol with the ability to systematize, store, and analyze relevant information from burn patients that can be used worldwide since it contains a universal codification and can be easily adapted to any specific requirement by the user or legal/regulatory authorities. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The database was developed based on medical literature searches on burn injuries. A web platform was designed using Microsoft.NET framework technology with C# and MVC programming languages. The data collection items were selected and grouped into 2 main categories that contained 7 subcategories each, with a unique code assigned to each customizable item for universal comparability in the collection, processing, categorization, and presentation of the data. An SQL server stored data to ensure encryption, protection, and invulnerability. RESULTS: The system recognized the user by identifying a predefined security authorization and allowed the creation, storage, organization, combination/aggregation, analyses, exportation, and editing of collected information. The protocol has been successfully verified in a medical institution by the Benaim Burn Foundation. CONCLUSIONS: A new validated electronic database protocol focusing on burn patients was successfully created, resulting in a substantial improvement of medical record standardization. This system has laid a solid foundation for future data mining, medical records sharing, and academic purposes.