In today’s business world, it has become extremely common for many companies, small and large, to convert their systems over to certain databases to provide better service and care to their customers. One of the most important businesses that have greatly enhanced their care to patients by the use of databases is in hospitals.  One of the most common medical databases utilized is called UpToDate. This clinical knowledge support system database displays modestly improved length of stay, mortality rates, and quality of care. It could be best described as “premier evidence-based clinical decision support resource authored by physicians to help healthcare practitioners make the best decisions at the point of care. By combining the latest clinical knowledge with cutting-edge technology, UpToDate changes the way clinicians practice medicine and has become an indispensable part of clinical workflows in institutions and practices worldwide.” [1] UpToDate is accessed through Web browsers or through electronic health records (EHRs) using desktops, laptops, or mobile devices.  Hospitals and care-giving centers constantly have to stay updated on new information, treatments, etc. as new studies and innovations are being released. Nurses and doctors go to years and years of school learning about these things, but eventually things they learn become outdated and they have to keep up to date with things. In order to provide the best care and obtain the best knowledge, it’s essential for hospitals to have databases like UpToDate. Technology has significantly changed from just four years ago, especially in the medical field.  The Journal of Hospital Medicine held a study comparing the performance of 1,017 hospitals that used UpToDate to that of 2,305 facilities that did not, employing freely available administrative databases. “During the three years covered by the study, UpToDate hospitals had slightly shorter average lengths of stay than the control group did (5.6 vs. 5.7 days), and the same was true for each of the six conditions studied. The study group also had slightly lower risk-adjusted 30-day mortality rates, although the difference was significant for only three of the conditions. On all four conditions studied for quality scores--heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, and surgical infection prevention--the UpToDate users did better than non-users.” [2]  The Ottawa Hospital in Canada just acquired this database and has a very positive outlook on its performance. The Chief Medical Information Officer Glen Geiger, M.D. at Ottawa Hospital said, “Our use of UpToDate Anywhere is a direct outgrowth of our advanced mobility strategy and mission to equip clinicians with the tools they need to answer questions quickly at the point of care...We are confident that, as the latest tool in our online arsenal, UpToDate will have a significantly positive impact on both our physicians and the patients they treat.” [3]  UpToDate is really self-explanatory. It is extremely important and beneficial to all people in the medical field. Not only does it help keep everyone “up to date,” but it also is readily available just about anywhere, providing doctors with additional access to UpToDate, whether they are on-site, at satellite offices, at home or on the go by using the award-winning UpToDate mobile app for iOS, Android and Windows. [1] http://www.uptodate.com/home [2] http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/clinical-systems/medical-database-linked-to-better-hospit/232200181 [3] http://www.nationalpost.com/markets/news/Ottawa+Hospital+Launches+UpToDate+Anywhere+Mobile+Enabled+Clinical/8671040/story.html Answers to Questions: 1. What specific challenges does your database system implementation have?   I think one of the very few challenges UpToDate may face is trying to get businesses to adopt it. Many still use older databases and don’t really think to change things around since their current databases are doing the job they need to. UpToDate just takes many databases to the next level. 2. In what ways does it provide competitive advantage for the organization using it?   Just as illustrated in one of the many studies, UpToDate really has such a competitive advantage over other hospitals not employing this technology. Again, many hospitals still utilize publicly available databases, which is somewhat, but not as advanced and cutting edge as UpToDate. More than 700,000 clinicians in 158 countries and almost 90% of academic medical centers in the United States rely on UpToDate to provide the best care. That trust has been earned because of the reliability of the databases’ recommendations, including the fact that they never accept funding from pharmaceutical companies, medical device manufacturers or other commercial entities, which many other databases do. Again, this database has been linked shortened hospital stays, fewer deaths and better quality performance than non-UpToDate hospitals. 3. What improvements would you suggest?   I think that UpToDate is really a great and successful database already. One thing I would maybe suggest for UpToDate to do is advertise more and go around to medical businesses and display the importance of adopting this database, in relation to other used databases. They should inform medical employees how they are different and the studies that have been conducted to exhibit their success.