Search

Background: The implementation of electronic medical records (EMR) in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Saarland University Medical Center (UKS) in January 2016 was a timely response to growing documentation requirements and rapidly increasing electronic diagnostic data. The software system was primarily developed for private practices and cannot therefore meet the different requirements of various clinics out of the box. The purpose of this study was to identify features of the EMR beyond purely paper replacement that can assist in the clinical workflow and whether these features can be implemented in a running system., Methods: The EMR was specifically individualized with respect to the work processes and documentation requirements of the Department of Ophthalmology at the UKS. In addition to a seamless integration into the hospital information system (HIS) the modifications included changes in the structure and visual presentation of the EMR as well as functional extensions. An internet-based platform was set up to enable a direct exchange of appointments and patient data with specialist practices., Results: Due to the introduction of a so-called ghost list the position of patients within the hospital who are allocated to a physician, e.g. for diagnostics, can be reconstructed at any point in time. The logging of the individual treatment times enables tracking of patient flow within the clinic and a reduction of waiting times. Existing paper documents particularly for the graphic recording of findings, such as sketches, are digitalized eliminating the need to scan documents. The UKS.AUGEN.NETZ is an internet-based portal to facilitate direct organization of appointments with specialist practitioners and for the exchange of digital examination data and medical correspondence., Conclusion: The permanent close cooperation between employees of the Department of Ophthalmology at the UKS and the manufacturer of the software enables a continuous optimization of the EMR in a fully operational clinical workflow. In addition, the web-based interface improves the cooperation between the hospital and private practices.

Background: For more than 60 years patient records of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Saarland Medical Center in Homburg were documented on handwritten paper documents and filed in archives. Increasing requirements for medical documentation, exploding volumes of diagnostic data, overcrowded archives and unavailable files when needed, were the essential rationales for the implementation of an electronic patient archive (EPA)., Methods: The EPA has been specifically adapted to the requirements of the Department of Ophthalmology in order to guarantee a standardized unobstructed documentation and patient care across all sections of the department. Seamless integration into the clinic information system (KIS) and network-compatible diagnostic software were essential as well as a timely digitization of existing paper charts. Decisive factors for using FIDUS (Arztservice Wente GmbH, Darmstadt, Germany) as the EPA software were the visual layout of the EPA, user friendliness and reference installations of the software in other ophthalmology departments., Results: After one and a half years of meticulous preparation with specific adaptations to the requirements of our department, the EPA was finally implemented in January 2016 and since then we have been working on improvements. The EPA software retrieves basic patient data from the KIS and diagnostic data from electronic devices via various interfaces. Expenses for printers could be reduced but computer workplaces had to be expanded or newly created. For previous patients paper files are digitized externally and stored in an electronic archive directly accessible from the EPA., Discussion: Successful reorganization and implementation of electronic documentation during clinical routine is feasible with careful preparation and timely involvement of information technology experts, motivated physicians, nurses, research departments and the administration.

Background: Academic teaching activities at the department of ophthalmology of the University Clinic of Saarland (UKS) include the teaching of students during the "Ophthalmo-Week" with lectures and bedside teaching according to the academic conditions given by the law for medical schools in Germany, a spezialized course "Anterior Pole to Posterior Pole", teaching of locum students, students in their final year and tuition of PhD students., Purpose: Demonstration of the development of a structured teaching concept for medical students in ophthalmology including blended learning. Description of the problems encountered and the changes made during the transition from ex cathedra teaching to a mixture of lectures and practical hands-on and patient-centered teaching of the current Homburg "Ophthalmo-Week". In addition, the aim is to emphasize the importance of structured and detailed evaluation as a means to continually improve academic teaching., Conclusion: In the light of the current demographic changes and the relative lack of young trainees in many medical specialities in Germany, good academic teaching is becoming more and more important. Good academic teaching including positive evaluations can elucidate the interest of medical students for non-mainstream medical specialties such as ophthalmology. In addition, good and profiled academic teaching promotes research by attracting medical students to apply for PhD work at these hospitals. Furthermore, the profile of the department can be improved in comparison to departments of the same specialty in neighboring universities. Transferability of methods of academic teaching is as important as sustainability. To keep up the high standards of blended learning all medical personnel of the hospital need to be involved during the short-term focused teaching periods.

In this article several important aspects of pediatric ophthalmology are reviewed. The aim is to alert the non-pediatric ophthalmologist to potentially dangerous omissions in the diagnosis of childhood eye diseases. The recapitulation of basic pediatric ophthalmologic concepts should allow physicians to identify situations and pediatric presentations for which referral to a pediatric ophthalmologist is advisable. Special emphasis is placed on the review of basic and simple diagnostic tests and on clinical warning signs that - if overlooked - can have severe negative consequences for the child. The CME article should help to ensure that fewer children with pathological ophthalmological or orthoptic findings are overlooked and underdiagnosed during their first visits to the ophthalmologist. In addition, the article hopefully will contribute to constructive cooperation among ophthalmologists of different subspecialties for the benefit of our youngest patients.