many data producers

1. TDI – A NETWORK OF INFORMATION AND CASE DOCUMENTATION IN GERMAN POISON CENTRESDesel H1), Ganzert M2), Cordes T3), Hahn A4), Heinemeyer G4), Hüller G5), Stürer A6), 1Poison Centre (PC) Göttingen, 2PC Munich, 3ISTC Freiburg/Br., 4BfR Berlin, 5PC Erfurt, 6PC Mainz, Germany www.tdi-network.org The situation in the past = the problem Objective: In recent years, all 10 German poison cen-tres (PC) serving different regions of the country and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR**), for-merly BgVV), Berlin, have intensified their coopera-tion. Among other aspects, the exchange of data on consumer products, delivered from industry either voluntarily according to the "EAPCCT format" (1) or on legal basis has become an important part of PC work and quality management. The research project “TDI” (Toxikologischer Dokumentations- und Informa-tionsverbund = Cooperation on Toxicological Case Documentation and Information), funded by the Ger-man Federal Ministry of Environment, Natural Protec-tion and Nuclear Safety, was constituted 1999 to de-sign, develop, and implement a computer network as a tool for reliable and easy-to-handle product data ex-change and data retrieval. Results: Until spring 2003 all components of the TDI have been implemented and successfully tes-ted in 10 German PCs as well as in industry: in several industrial companies product data is en-tered into the system using the project’s data acquisition programme EMIL. Data files created by the EMIL software are sent to one selected project centre (primary centre [1°c in Fig. 1], i.e. PC or BfR) using the well defined ROSETTA*) data format. The primary centre checks the data source and data quality by an automatic proce-dure and distributes data to all other project part-ners (secondary centres [2°c]) using encrypted electronic data exchange. Finally, all centres inte-grate the evaluated product data records in their local relational TDI database (ORACLE) for retrie-val within PCs’ daily work. many data producers (industrial companies) C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 ... BfR 11 data users(poison centres and BfR**) PC PC PC PC PC The concept many dataproducers C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 ... T D I 11 data users PC PC PC PC PC BfR The technical network in 2003 Conclusion: Product information delivered by industrial companies in a reliable data format is easily checked and quickly distributed to all German PC and the BfR using several technical tools developed in the TDI project. The project works as a peer-to-peer network without central steering institution and is therefore a model how an international data exchange could be realised in the future. Reference: (1) Exchange of Information Between European Poison Control Centres And Industry (AIS:FIFE:FEA). EAPCCT Newsletter April 1996, p. 3-13 • Methods: Based on experience from cooperations within two national research projects in the last decade (EVA and TOXINFO-2) experts from 7 German PCs formed 4 working groups to develop concepts on • use of computer technology for project’s database development • (b) industry – PC relationship, including design of a product data acquisition programme, • (c) product categorisation *), and • (d) procedures for cooperation and data exchange. • Staff members and two external software companies have developed the project's software. The working groups have continuously controlled the development of project's work and have organised software implementation and testing. EMIL EMIL EMIL com- pany 1 com- pany 2 com- pany 3 TDIsoft | check TDIsoft | check BfR1° c PC#11° c ftp.tdi-network.org TDIsoft TDIsoft TDIsoft PC#82° c PC#92° c PC#102° c Fig. 1: The situation in the past, the TDI concept, and the TDI network *) detailed results on these topics are presented in other presentation/poster **) BfR is collecting chemical and biocidal product information by law