TDI – A NETWORK OF INFORMATION AND CASE DOCUMENTATION IN GERMAN POISON CENTRES TDI – A NETWORK OF INFORMATION AND CASE DOCUMENTATION IN GERMAN POISON CENTRES Desel H 1), Ganzert M 2), Cordes T 3), Hahn A 4), Heinemeyer G 4), Hüller G 5), Stürer A 6), 1 Poison Centre (PC) Göttingen, 2 PC Munich, 3 ISTC Freiburg/Br., 4 BfR Berlin, 5 PC Erfurt, 6 PC Mainz, Germany 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. 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 (a) 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. 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. 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 PC many data producers T D I C2C3C4C5C1 BfR 11 data users... *) detailed results on these topics are presented in other presentation/poster **) BfR is collecting chemical and biocidal product information by law EMIL com- pany 1 EMIL com- pany 2 EMIL com- pany 3 TDIsoft | check BfR 1° c PC#1 1° c ftp.tdi-network.org TDIsoft PC#8 2° c TDIsoft | check PC#9 2° c PC#10 2° c TDIsoft functiontool data type data input EMIL local database data transfer diskette, ROSETTA data file data check TDIsoft. check local TDI data base data transfer standard ftp upload tools encypted ROSETTA data file data storage UNIX ftp Server UNIX file system data transfer TDIsoft. download encypted ROSETTA data import TDIsoft. import local TDI data base data retrieval TDIsoft. retrieval local TDI data base PC many data producers (industrial companies) C2C3C4C5C1 BfR 11 data users (poison centres and BfR ** )... The situation in the past = the problem The concept The technical network in 2003 Fig. 1: The situation in the past, the TDI concept, and the TDI network