Justifying the Construction of a Flexible, Functional Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (HCT) Database, BRAIN

In order to justify the resources to build an in-house database we performed a GAP analysis, Scope, Requirements, Schema and Dashboard Design assessment and plan. The GAP analysis identified the gap between current data fields and new data fields needed.  Over 3200 fields are required to enter data for 40 CIBMTR forms.  The GAP analysis included the following:  1) source of the data, 2) discreteness of the data, 3) and data interface capability versus manual entry required.  The Scope of the project contained an Executive Summary describing the number of patients transplanted annually, the data sources, purposes of the data, current system limitation, and the number of additional FTE’s needed to meet Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) if no new Database system was devised.  In addition to identification of systems to be replaced, users of the database, consumers of the data, project goals, new interfaces required, and migration of legacy data were assessed.  A requirements document described the data and interface needs.  This document consisted of the tables and their fields that would go into the database as well as the design of the screens.  It also described how the data would be interfaced through staging tables from the Hospital Electronic Medical Record (EMR) to the Data warehouse to BMT Research and Analysis Informatics Network (BRAIN).  A description of a dashboard was included for management of the CIBMTR forms that were due for each patient.  Diagrams presented illustrate patient flow through our program, CIBMTR forms submission timeline, and the data flow into and from our database before and after the new system development.

Complete and thorough documentation is necessary to provide an audience of Hospital and IT management an understanding of why a new database system is needed.   Documentation reported the present state and its current problems and justified development of a new database system providing for future growth and flexibility.