South Thames MIQUEST project
The following article was published in the June 1998 edition of "Go Between"
Dr Simon de Lusignan E-mail:slusignan@drsdesk.sthames.nhs.uk
STMP - South Thames MIQUEST Project MIQUEST (Morbidity Query and Export Syntax) - is an exciting tool for extracting data from General Practice Computer Systems. What makes it exciting is that the same question can be asked of different GPs computer systems. It works with EMIS, Meditel, and Microdoc (under B-test). It allows morbidity data to be collected from a number of systems and pooled. The STMP is funded to provide a focal point for those involved in, or wishing to use MIQUEST within the Region.
Why this is important:
Collecting data from more than one practice has always been fraught with difficulty. MIQUEST allows this to happen. Once extracted data is easily transferred into a spread-sheet or database, so that it can be presented in an appropriate format. MIQUEST automatically anonymises the data - but an individual practice can compare its data with the pooled averages. This allows data presentation in a similar format to that produced by the PPA, e.g. Practice data compared with its Health Authority and National Average.
The National Data Collection Project using MIQUEST:
CHDGP is a National Collection of Health Data Project from GPs project based at Nottingham University. The STMP wishes to take a group of practices into this project as involvement with it will provide the South Thames Group (and any practices involved with it) with additional training support and expertise. We are already involved with a group of practices in the Region but would like to expand this group. There is no charge for practices to become involved, and they would simply be asked to run some queries on their database. Help would be given with this! Eventually we hope to get to the stage of being able to write and run our own South Thames queries written to reflect areas of the practices involved. We plan to have these available to download from the Doctors Desk website (http://drsdesk.sghms.ac.uk).
The White Paper:
The New NHS - Modern Dependable:
The concept of "Clinical Governance" was introduced in the recent White Paper. Practices will find it a major challenge if they are unable to collect data across the different types of computer software found in General Practice. MIQUEST could provide a tool to do this.
Conclusions:
· MIQUEST is a tool provided by the NHS to allow data extraction from different GP systems.
· Once data is extracted it is easily transferred into proprietary spreadsheets and databases
· A regional group taking advantage of the expertise with CHDGP is likely to be the fastest route to gain expertise.
· The long term aim is to achieve a Regional library of downloadable queries based on key areas of EBM.
Working with MIQUEST may be a tool to help achieve "Clinical Governance" within Primary Care Groups.
Website: http://drsdesk.sghms.ac.uk/STMP.htm
Contact: Simon de Lusignan (slusignan@drs.desk.sthames.nhs.uk)
Funding: South Thames IM &T