Support of daily ECG procedures in a cardiology department via the integration of an existing clinical database and a commercial ECG management system.
BACKGROUND
In the context of HYGEIAnet, the regional health telematics network of Crete, a clinical cardiology database (CARDIS) has been installed in several hospitals. The large number of resting ECGs recorded daily made it a priority to have computerized support for the entire ECG procedure.


METHODS
Starting in late 2000, ICS-FORTH and Mortara Instrument, Inc., collaborated to integrate the Mortara E-Scribe/NT ECG management system with CARDIS in order to support daily ECG procedures. CARDIS was extended to allow automatic ordering of daily ECGs via E-Scribe/NT. The ECG order list is downloaded to the electrocardiographs and executed, the recorded ECGs are transmitted to E-Scribe/NT, where confirmed ECG records are linked back to CARDIS. A thorough testing period was used to identify and correct problems. An ECG viewer/printer was extended to read ECG files in E-Scribe/NT format.


RESULTS
The integration of E-Scribe/NT and CARDIS, enabling automatic scheduling of ECG orders and immediate availability of confirmed ECGs records for viewing and printing in the clinical database, took approximately 4 man months. The performance of the system is highly satisfactory and it is now ready for deployment in the hospital.


CONCLUSIONS
Integration of a commercially available ECG management system with an existing clinical database can provide a rapid, practical solution that requires no major modifications to either software component. The success of this project makes us optimistic about extending CARDIS to support additional examination procedures such as digital coronary angiography and ultrasound examinations.
Chiarugi
Franco
F
Center of Medical Informatics and Health Telematics Applications (CMI-HTA), Institute of Computer Science (ICS), Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece. chiarugi@ics.forth.gr
Lombardi
David
D
Lees
Philip J
PJ
Chronaki
Catherine E
CE
Tsiknakis
Manolis
M
Orphanoudakis
Stelios C
SC
D016507:Cardiology Service, Hospital; D003628:Database Management Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D006115:Greece; D006751:Hospital Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity