The Problem-Oriented Medical Synopsis: a patient-centered clinical information system.

A clinical information system consists of four major components: the clinical database, decision support, data analysis (including outcomes), and the development system. We have created such a system using generally available database methodology. The clinical database, for record-keeping, is called the Problem-Oriented Medical Synopsis, and is quite an old system, originating in 1966. We describe the suitability of a problem-oriented model of clinical records management to the relational model of database design, and describe our experience with the database as a departmental information system for patient care and outcomes research. Hybrid, or partially problem-oriented, databases represent an acceptable approach to clinical record-keeping.