Standards to support information systems integration in anatomic pathology.
BACKGROUND
Integrating anatomic pathology information- text and images-into electronic health care records is a key challenge for enhancing clinical information exchange between anatomic pathologists and clinicians. The aim of the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) international initiative is precisely to ensure interoperability of clinical information systems by using existing widespread industry standards such as Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) and Health Level Seven (HL7).


OBJECTIVE
To define standard-based informatics transactions to integrate anatomic pathology information to the Healthcare Enterprise.


METHODS
We used the methodology of the IHE initiative. Working groups from IHE, HL7, and DICOM, with special interest in anatomic pathology, defined consensual technical solutions to provide end-users with improved access to consistent information across multiple information systems.


RESULTS
The IHE anatomic pathology technical framework describes a first integration profile, "Anatomic Pathology Workflow," dedicated to the diagnostic process including basic image acquisition and reporting solutions. This integration profile relies on 10 transactions based on HL7 or DICOM standards. A common specimen model was defined to consistently identify and describe specimens in both HL7 and DICOM transactions.


CONCLUSIONS
The IHE anatomic pathology working group has defined standard-based informatics transactions to support the basic diagnostic workflow in anatomic pathology laboratories. In further stages, the technical framework will be completed to manage whole-slide images and semantically rich structured reports in the diagnostic workflow and to integrate systems used for patient care and those used for research activities (such as tissue bank databases or tissue microarrayers).
Daniel
Christel
C
ADICAP; INSERM, UMR_S 872 eq20 and Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France. christel.daniel@spim.jussieu.fr
García Rojo
Marcial
M
Bourquard
Karima
K
Henin
Dominique
D
Schrader
Thomas
T
Della Mea
Vincenzo
V
Gilbertson
John
J
Beckwith
Bruce A
BA
D003628:Database Management Systems / Q000592:standards*; D006751:Hospital Information Systems / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D010337:Pathology Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010340:Pathology, Surgical / Q000592:standards*; D018511:Systems Integration