A novel technology for harmonizing and analyzing cancer data. Observations from integrating health connect in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
Objective: This article aims to describe the implementation of a new health information technology system called Health Connect that is harmonizing cancer data in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador; explain high-level technical details of this technology; provide concrete examples of...
| Published in: | Health Informatics Journal |
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Atypon
2024
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/14604582241267792 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39056109 |
| Summary: | Objective: This article aims to describe the implementation of a new health information technology system called Health Connect that is harmonizing cancer data in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador; explain high-level technical details of this technology; provide concrete examples of how this technology is helping to improve cancer care in the province, and to discuss its future expansion and implications. Methods: We give a technical description of the Health Connect architecture, how it integrated numerous data sources into a single, scalable health information system for cancer data and highlight its artificial intelligence and analytics capacity. Results: We illustrated two practical achievements of Health Connect. First, an analytical dashboard that was used to pinpoint variations in colon cancer screening uptake in small defined geographic regions of the province; and second, a natural language processing algorithm that provided AI-assisted decision support in interpreting appropriate follow-up action based on assessments of breast mammography reports. Conclusion: Health Connect is a cutting-edge, health systems solution for harmonizing cancer screening data for practical decision-making. The long term goal is to integrate all cancer care data holdings into Health Connect to build a comprehensive health information system for cancer care in the province. |
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