Web-based database safeguards patient information

Key Points

The scenario was all too familiar to Craig Berger, MD, assistant professor, University of South Florida, Tampa, when he came up with the inspiration for http://www.SafeguardYourSight.com/ last year. The Web-based refractive surgery database is a novel idea for keeping track of the patient's preoperative, operative, and postoperative cornea measurements.

"My 'eureka' moment occurred last June while discussing the issues of cataract surgery after refractive surgery with a veteran at the James A. Haley Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Tampa," he said. "Five years prior, the veteran had LASIK but could not remember the name of the surgeon or the name of the center where he had his surgery."

The same issues arise when trying to measure the IOP in patients after refractive surgery. This service is important to glaucoma specialists as well as cataract surgeons.

Storage space

A patient record can be initiated in one of two ways. A patient can purchase a single account and request his or her medical record. The patient pays a one-time $30 fee to sign up for the service. Web site employees create an account for the patient and send a welcome e-mail with the login name, password, and a release of information form. The patient gives the release of information form to the refractive surgeon who performed the surgery. The data can be recorded either by the patient or the physician.