ECG to EHR/EPR integration
Anyone interested in ECG to ECG and ECG to EHR/EMR/EPR integration might want to look at the next issue of BJHC which will feature an article I've just penned on the subject. That's the February issue.
Covers OpenECG, DICOM Supplement 30, SCP-ECG and moves to XML encoded ECG.
Broad conclusion is that most of the technical work has been done by OpenECG and the SCP-ECG standard, but that lack of uptake and poor metadata and annotation have left it languishing. DICOM 30 attempted to force SCP-ECG into the DICOM template, with less than impressive results.
Basically, the major vendors haven't been too interested in either SCP-ECG or DICOM 30. The first they see as an "academic" European exercise by the usual EU IST suspects (viz universities like Bolognia and Glasgow, and tertiary care university hospitals). Technically good on integration, but with poor toolset support. The latter (that's DICOM 30) they see as unfunctional and limited. Probably because it's a rushed job. Vendors like GE who've invested in DICOM 30 ECG integration report that sales results are "disappointing".
Now they've all had a rocket put up them by the FDA demanding that ECG supporting data for clinical trials must be in XML. Nothing like Big Pharma to get the medical equipment industry's juices going. Look at Personalised Medicine - it's turning into a tracking device for pharma trials. Perhaps that's what Sir Bill Castell intended.
Anyhow, vendors are now looking seriously at packaging ECG waveforms into XML. Philips Medical look like they're taking a big lead here. Of course, XML is a structuring framework. Electrophysiological data looks like it will be packaged into separate files encoded in base64. My guess is that OpenECG's SCP-ECG - which is after all a European standard (or EuroNorm in the parlance), will be used for this bit. XML will bring excellent metadata, annotation and semantic capabilities to the party - which have been lacking in the SCP-ECG and DICOM 30 implementations. XML will make it far easier to integrate ECG into national EHR programme's like the UK's NPfIT, France's DMP and Germany's eGK.
Covers OpenECG, DICOM Supplement 30, SCP-ECG and moves to XML encoded ECG.
Broad conclusion is that most of the technical work has been done by OpenECG and the SCP-ECG standard, but that lack of uptake and poor metadata and annotation have left it languishing. DICOM 30 attempted to force SCP-ECG into the DICOM template, with less than impressive results.
Basically, the major vendors haven't been too interested in either SCP-ECG or DICOM 30. The first they see as an "academic" European exercise by the usual EU IST suspects (viz universities like Bolognia and Glasgow, and tertiary care university hospitals). Technically good on integration, but with poor toolset support. The latter (that's DICOM 30) they see as unfunctional and limited. Probably because it's a rushed job. Vendors like GE who've invested in DICOM 30 ECG integration report that sales results are "disappointing".
Now they've all had a rocket put up them by the FDA demanding that ECG supporting data for clinical trials must be in XML. Nothing like Big Pharma to get the medical equipment industry's juices going. Look at Personalised Medicine - it's turning into a tracking device for pharma trials. Perhaps that's what Sir Bill Castell intended.
Anyhow, vendors are now looking seriously at packaging ECG waveforms into XML. Philips Medical look like they're taking a big lead here. Of course, XML is a structuring framework. Electrophysiological data looks like it will be packaged into separate files encoded in base64. My guess is that OpenECG's SCP-ECG - which is after all a European standard (or EuroNorm in the parlance), will be used for this bit. XML will bring excellent metadata, annotation and semantic capabilities to the party - which have been lacking in the SCP-ECG and DICOM 30 implementations. XML will make it far easier to integrate ECG into national EHR programme's like the UK's NPfIT, France's DMP and Germany's eGK.
posted by William Payne at
3:05 pm
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home