Working Groups >>  XML Schema for Anaesthesia

All or parts of an anaesthetic record may be stored and shared (or communicated). A schema allows this stored information to be exchanged in a standard fashion between disparate systems. A detailed XML Schema (a template for electronic anaesthetic record data storage) has already been produced by Martin Gardner. We have reached a crossroads in what is done with this. It has been published as a version 1 and our aim was to get the Connescting for Health (New NPfIT) to use it in commissioning computer anaesthetic systems. As Connescting for Health wish to use a computer data language called HL7v3 we are planning to set up a working group to produce a schema to use this. This is will be under discussion at the next meeting.

The current situation

We are at a crossroads in developments of XML.
We had the HL7 report- Max Jones (Technical lead for messaging in NpfIT). The HL7v3 is going to be the descriptive language for the storage of data in NPfIT. But did you know that HL7v3 is not in the Connescting for Health's web site jargon buster and if HL7 is searched for no results are returned!!

The Clinical Record- What is current situation

• We are going to input information as HL7v3 messages-Stored as XML
• There is no stand alone anaesthesia message.
• There is a single message for whole inpatient record with anaesthetic info incorporated as HL7v3 language-? Very difficult to query, research, or use in any way to get information out. ?back to paper.

Who and how can get it out.?
—Anyone with access to the system in hospital but not cross NHS network.

Can anaesthetist see whole anaesthetic record?
—No, the clinical record will have met-information on reactions etc. during anaesthetic with where it came from a summary.

We are unlikely to be able to access whole anaesthetic record remotely - This may be available later.
Therefore will not be able to query the clinical record as part of our anaesthetic assessment.
The Solution is incorporation into a problem list. It is therefore the responsibility of anaesthetist to incorporate reactions into this summary!!!!

We have a detailed XML Schema

Should this be converted to an HL7v3 compatible format. ?
Connescting for Health version or full HL7 version ?
?HL7v3 schema for entire anaesthetic record or just small parts.

Come to the next meeting and find out more.