ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A cursory analysis of the biomedical grid literature shows that most projects emphasize data sharing and the development of new applications for the grid environment. Much less is known about the best practices for the migration of existing analytical tools into the grid environment. OBJECTIVES: To make GeneHunter available as a grid service and to evaluate the effort and best practices needed to enable a legacy application as a grid service when addressing semantic integration and using the caBIG tools. METHODS: We used the tools available in the caBIG environment because these tools are quite general and they may be used to deploy services in similar biomedical grids that are OGSA-compliant. RESULTS: We achieved semantic integration of GeneHunter within the caBIG by creating a new UML model, LinkageX, for the LINKAGE data format. The LinkageX UML model has been published in the caDSR and it is publically available for usage with GeneHunter or any other program using this data format. CONCLUSIONS: While achieving semantic interoperability is still a time-consuming task, the tools available in caBIG can greatly enhance productivity and decrease errors.
Subject(s)
Computer Simulation , Database Management Systems , Genetics , Information Dissemination/methods , Medical Informatics/organization & administration , User-Computer Interface , Algorithms , Efficiency , Epidemiologic Methods , Feasibility Studies , HumansABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of an interfaced approach to clinical information systems architecture. METHODS: After many years of internally building almost all components of a hospital clinical information system (HELP) at Intermountain Health Care, we changed our architectural approach as we chose to encompass ambulatory as well as acute care. We now seek to interface applications from a variety of sources (including some that we build ourselves) to a clinical data repository that contains a longitudinal electronic patient record. RESULTS: We have a total of 820 instances of interfaces to 51 different applications. We process nearly 2 million transactions per day via our interface engine and feel that the reliability of the approach is acceptable. Interface costs constitute about four percent of our total information systems budget. The clinical database currently contains records for 1.45 m patients and the response time for a query is 0.19 sec. DISCUSSION: Based upon our experience with both integrated (monolithic) and interfaced approaches, we conclude that for those with the expertise and resources to do so, the interfaced approach offers an attractive alternative to systems provided by a single vendor. We expect the advantages of this approach to increase as the costs of interfaces are reduced in the future as standards for vocabulary and messaging become increasingly mature and functional.
