The German Corona Consensus Dataset (GECCO): a standardized dataset for COVID-19 research in university medicine and beyond

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge of research activity. While this research provides important insights, the multitude of studies results in an increasing fragmentation of information. To ensure comparability across projects and institutions, standard datasets are needed. Here, we introduce the “German Corona Consensus Dataset” (GECCO), a uniform dataset that uses international terminologies and health IT standards to improve interoperability of COVID-19 data, in particular for university medicine. Methods: Based on previous work (e.g., the ISARIC-WHO COVID-19 case report form) and in coordination with experts from university hospitals, professional associations and research initiatives, data elements relevant for COVID-19 research were collected, prioritized and consolidated into a compact core dataset. The dataset was mapped to international terminologies, and the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard was used to define interoperable, machine-readable data formats. Results: A core dataset consisting of 81 data elements with 281 response options was defined, including information about, for example, demography, medical history, symptoms, therapy, medications or laboratory values of COVID-19 patients. Data elements and response options were mapped to SNOMED CT, LOINC, UCUM, ICD-10-GM and ATC, and FHIR profiles for interoperable data exchange were defined. Conclusion: GECCO provides a compact, interoperable dataset that can help to make COVID-19 research data more comparable across studies and institutions. The dataset will be further refined in the future by adding domain-specific extension modules for more specialized use cases

Interoperabilität im Gesundheitswesen: auch für digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen (DiGA) verordnet

Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen (DiGA) sind eines der Räder im Getriebe des digitalen Gesundheitswesens. Wie alle anderen kommunizierenden Anwendungen müssen DiGA interoperabel sein, damit das ganze System reibungslos funktioniert. Dabei muss Interoperabilität auf 4 verschiedenen Ebenen gegeben sein, dies sind: funktionale und fachinhaltliche Anforderungen; strukturelle und semantische Anforderungen; Anforderungen an Sicherheit und Transport und organisatorische Anforderungen. In Deutschland wurde in den letzten Jahren ein großer Sprung in ein digitales Gesundheitswesen initiiert, verstärkt durch die Erfahrungen aus der COVID-19-Pandemie. Aktuelle Gesetzgebungen zielen auf eine Festlegung von Standards und einheitlichen Abläufen und etablieren damit den benötigten verbindlichen Rahmen für ein Gesamtkonzept in der Digitalisierung. Interoperable DiGA können mit den anderen Systemen im Gesundheitswesen kommunizieren, wenn es die PatientInnen wünschen. Möglich sind z. B. der Anschluss an die elektronische Patientenakte (ePA) und eine damit einhergehende Datenspende für Forschungszwecke. So können PatientInnen nicht nur direkt von dem positiven Versorgungseffekt einer DiGA profitieren, sondern auch indirekt durch die Datenspende zur Forschung und damit zur Verbesserung des Gesundheitswesens beitragen.Digital health applications (DiGA) are a cog in the machine of a digital health system that must be interoperable like all other communicating applications in order to function smoothly. Interoperability takes place at four levels: functional subject definition of content, semantic and syntactic standardization, security and transport requirements, and organizational aspects. In Germany, a major leap towards a more digital healthcare system has been initiated in recent years, reinforced by the experience gained from the COVID-19 pandemic. Current legislation aims at a uniform definition of standards and processes and thus establishes the required binding framework for an overall concept in digitization. DiGA can communicate with other healthcare systems using the same semantic and syntactic standardizations if the patient so desires. With the possible connection to electronic patient records and the accompanying data donation option, patients can benefit more than once through interoperable DiGA – not only through the direct positive care effect of the digital health application, but also indirectly through data donation, which can contribute to improving the entire healthcare system through appropriate research

The Need for Standardised Documents in Continuity of Care : Results of Standardising the eNursing Summary

Continuity of care is a concept that is defined as the uninterrupted and coordinated care provided to a patient and that includes an informational dimension which describes the information exchange between the parties involved. In nursing, the nursing summary is the main instrument to ensure informational continuity of care. The aim of this paper is to present an HL7 Clinical Document Architecture based document standard for the eNursing Summary and to discuss the need for harmonizing these results at international level. The eNursing Summary proposed in this paper was developed on the basis of several internationally accepted concepts, primarily the nursing process, the ISO 18104 Reference Terminology Model for Nursing and various data sets. The standardisation process embraced several phases of involving nursing experts for validating its structure and content. It was finally evaluated by a network of 100 healthcare organizations. We argue that the eNursing Summary is a good starting point for standardising nursing discharge and transfer documents on a global level. However, further work is needed to bring together the different national and international strands in standardisation