FAQ – Lymbase

FAQ Contents

What is Lymbase?
Who can use Lymbase?
Why should I use Lymbase?
Which compression garment companies will I have access to through Lymbase?
How do I know my patient’s data is secure?
If I commit to keeping patient data in Lymbase how can I be sure there won’t be changes to the platform?

What is Lymbase?

Lymbase is a clinical data management system for lymphoedema currently in development. It has been designed to create efficiencies for the clinician, and information in a more usable format for the patient.

In creating this platform, we also hope to create a learning health system and clinical decision support system to aid and inform assessment and treatment decisions.

If you are interested in hearing more about what a learning health system is and the research path to building this platform here is a link to an article published in the November edition of Lymph Express.

Who can use Lymbase?

Lymbase has been built for clinicians trained to treat lymphoedema (lymphoedema therapists). Within Australia, access to the platform is permitted for any therapist that meets the requirements for registration with the Australasian Lymphology Association (post-graduate training with an accredited course and a commitment to continuing education). Evidence of registration or relevant training is required to set up an account. This also limits access to the garment search, ensuring those prescribing compression beyond 30mmHg are trained, to limit the risk of pressure injury or worsening lymphoedema from poorly fitting compression.

Why should I use Lymbase?

Lymbase provides benefits to both clinicians and patients.

For the patient:

Lymbase enables the patient to have a single record with the option to share the record between lymphoedema therapists. This might be within a clinic, if they attend more than one clinic or if they relocate. The patient has control over who can see and add to the record.
Lymbase keeps a record of garments and treatments tried previously to track what has and hasn’t been tried in the past.
Graphs showing size changes provide a visual representation of how their lymphoedema is tracking over time.
An agreed treatment plan can be received via email following an appointment.
Patients can opt in to share de-identified data for research purposes, contributing to our understanding of lymphoedema and its treatment.

For the clinician:

Efficiencies such as immediate calculation of interlimb differences, and volume calculation.
A comprehensive assessment format for new therapists to follow.
The ability to skip any elements of assessment as needed.
Export of session summary, graphs, and/or treatment plan to share with the patient, referrer, or medical practitioner.
Progress notes can be copied for entry into eMR to avoid duplication.
A single patient record ensures there is no loss of prior knowledge when the patient moves between therapists.
A more consistent language for reporting change in lymphoedema.
Lymbase enables the evolution of a clinical decision support system. This might be as simple as a hover function describing staging of lymphoedema; or perhaps the application of new research as it becomes available. For example, a line graph indicating whether the interlimb differences fall outside normal ranges for early detection ad identifying where, along the limb the difference is most significant.
With widespread uptake, Lymbase can create large data sets for research to build on our body of knowledge; particularly treatment efficacy to inform clinical practice. We hope to be able to ask not only which treatment/s, but which treatments for where, and when, and how.

Which compression garment companies will I have access to through Lymbase?

For the first year the search engine will be enabled for Haddenham Healthcare who have generously supported the development of this initiative.

Following that, we will invite other compression garment companies that have met the requirements of local Health contracts or international standards (e.g. RAL) to add to the search engine. In time we hope to have representation from all major compression companies to simplify garment prescription.

How do I know my patient’s data is secure?

We take the security of patient data very seriously. Lymbase has been developed with the requirements of European (GDPR), American (FDA) and local (NSW Health) data security requirements in mind. Lymbase has undergone an external audit for a security evaluation and have acted on their advice. Further details on what this means and how we have ensured your patient data is safe can be found here.

If I commit to keeping patient data in Lymbase how can I be sure there won’t be changes to the platform?

There will be changes to the platform, but this is a good thing. As our knowledge and understanding of lymphoedema evolves our practice changes. A Learning Health System will always be evolving. We also hope to add additional features and supports over time.

What will not change is our commitment to:

data security;
clinical decision support informed by evidence rather than experience; and
free access to the clinical data management system and search engine for lymphoedema therapists.

Frequently Asked Questions