Conceptual database modeling for understanding and developing information management applications

In response to rising health care costs and changing expectations concernin g the quality of health care, information management is becoming increasing ly important in the practice of medicine; more specifically, it is beginnin g to effect significant changes in radiology practice and patient care. Rad iologic applications of information management include reporting diagnostic information generated from film interpretation as well as tracking utiliza tion patterns of different imaging modalities and the variability of clinic al outcomes, documenting the type of information sought by and provided to clinicians, and evaluating departmental quality standards and performance g oals. Conceptual database modeling enables radiologists to understand and p articipate in the development of information systems, thereby improving the likelihood of successful results. In object-role modeling, groups of relev ant objects and roles are identified and used to create elementary facts th at form the "building blocks" for information models. The resultant models can easily be communicated, reviewed, and revised, allowing decreased devel opment time and optimizing inclusion of relevant features in the target rel ational database. Increasing the amount of clinical and management input in the development process may help information systems better meet user need s, become accepted and more often used, and ultimately succeed.