"Map of Medicine” to Improve Clinical Practice

A new clinical information system that visually combines specialist knowledge with best practice is designed to make vast resources of medical information instantly available to all clinicians in the south of England.

Called the Map of Medicine, the system supports interaction across disciplines, helps improve the use of clinical resources, and supports professional development. Clinical knowledge is organized into more than 300 patient "journeys” that "map” clinical process throughout the healthcare system, starting from initial patient presentation in surgery or emergency units. The content covers all major diagnostic areas, including emergency, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, obstetrics, gynecology, oncology, and palliative care.

Developing the Map involved more than 300 doctors and nurses over four years and will be available within an area stretching from Cornwall to Kent, benefiting up to 13 million people covered by the UK National Health Service (NHS). The Map was the brainchild of Dr. Owen Epstein, a consultant physician at Medic-to-Medic, a subsidiary of University College London (UK).

"Imagine if every NHS clinician knew what all NHS clinicians know. The Map is the electronic glue to bring local specialist knowledge together, acting as a virtual "desktop consultant” for healthcare professionals to use when the patient's journey leads them into unfamiliar territory,” explained Dr. Epstein.

A website on the Internet offers a demonstration of the Map of Medicine (www.mapofmedicine.com).



Related Links:
U. College London
Map of Medicine