Patient identification and documentation of causes of deaths in a follow up register

Abstract

The Scottish Automated Follow up Register (SAFUR) provides a life long follow up facility for general practitioners of patients who have been treated for certain forms of thyroid disease (Hedley, Scott, Debenham, 1969). Originally implemented in North East Scotland, the system has since been extended to four other centres in Inverness, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Two aspects of long term follow up of thyroid patients by SAFUR demand that the system has the ability to link records of patients registered in the system of those of the National Health Service Central Register (NHSCR) in Edinburgh. These problems include the need to obtain information about migrating patients and to document causes of death in patients with thyroid disease.