BELTRIMS

Summary:

BELTRIMS (BELgian TReatment in Multiple Sclerosis) is the Belgian MS Registry, which is an initiative of the Belgian Study Group for MS (BSGMS). The BSGMS, a non-profit organisation that was founded in 1957, is the legal entity of BELTRIMS. The original protocol of BELTRIMS was approved on December 23rd , 2013 by the Ethics Committee (EC) of the UZA, acting as Central EC. By BELTRIMS, they aim to study and to stimulate the study of the nature and the treatment of MS through scientific disciplines (biology, biochemistry, immunology, genetics,...), and additionally they want to inform doctors (neurologists) by providing up to date documentation, publications, scientific meetings,... Currently, the BSGMS has more than 180 members, mostly neurologists, with an active interest in the study of MS. Our research group is involved in the BELTRIMS working group of the BSGMS, which is currently working on an improved version of BELTRIMS in which we strive towards implementing the “only-once-principle”, indicating that data should only be entered once. More specifically, this means that neurologists can use multiple data acquisition systems, but automated transformation towards the same format is enabled through so-called “SwitchBoxes”.

INAMI-RIZIV, the federal institute for health insurances, uses software from healthdata.be, and only supports initiatives that also use that software. Therefore, interoperability with healthdata.be is mandatory for BELTRIMS. In short, the BSGMS, INAMI-RIZIV and healthdata.be collaborate to migrate (and improve) BELTRIMS to the healthdata.be platform (so called “BELTRIMS 2.0”).

Role of UHasselt:

Supporting the BSGMS in:

• defining the list of variables
• develop ETLs
• communicate with BSGMS and healthdata.be