Poisons information in Scotland: delivery of TOXBASE on the Internet

Abstract

Poisons information in the UK is provided by the six centres of the National Poisons Information Service (NPIS). In mid-1999 an existing database, TOXBASE, was modernized and transferred to the Internet and made freely available to health professionals working in the National Health Service. We report the effect of this change on poisons information provision in Scotland in 2000. Telephone and TOXBASE enquiry profiles and agent accesses, were examined by enquirer source and Scottish Health Board (corrected for population size). Indices used included number of telephone enquiries and computer usage data, including details of agent and agent category. Enquiries to TOXBASE were found to be more than 3.4 times more frequent than by telephone. Profile of agents was generally similar, apart primarily from ethanol, which was a more frequent telephone agent. There was a negative correlation between population-corrected volume of telephone enquiries and TOXBASE sessions by the health board. Most telephone enquiries came from primary care, whereas the major TOXBASE users were Accident and Emergency (A and E) departments. Referrals to senior clinical staff increased from the previous year. Our study concluded that computer information systems are alternative tools to the telephone for poisons information provision. In Scotland there is evidence that the systems complement each other, with no evidence of loss of clinical referrals about more severe poisoning. User feedback has been positive.