Enterprise imaging worklist server and method of use

Inactive Publication Date: 2006-12-28
GENERAL ELECTRIC CO
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, it is increasingly challenging to provide an image access solution across an entire healthcare network as these healthcare enterprises grow larger and more far-flung.
However, scaling a central PACS to multiple sites can become extremely difficult as the number of sites significantly increases.
A number of factors may prevent a single system from being scaled across multiple sites and enterprises, such as: data ownership; workflow complexity; system availability; and technology challenges.
Also, different institutions may not be able to place data into a central repository for technical or regulatory reasons.
The boundaries between and among healthcare institutions may create barriers for the creation of a central data repository.
Another factor preventing enterprise scaling of a central PACS is workflow complexity.
These different workflow models for a single, common procedure create a challenge to provide efficient workflow management functions and tools to cope with various needs across multiple enterprises.
When more healthcare institutions or other participating user sites are given access to one PACS or a PACS network, the system availability and reliability decreases.
Scaling PACS access to an entire enterprise may decrease system availability dramatically.
When an image management system is scaled to provide service across an enterprise or multiple enterprises, response time, system serviceability, network configuration and many other factors become more complicated to manage.
While each of the above factors presents substantial challenges to scaling a central PACS, none of these factors absolutely limits the system scalability.
However, the cost of increasing system resources to provide for the scalability of a single PACS can quickly offset the benefit of improved image availability and accessibility in the large-scale environment.
Aside from the factors described above that present challenges to PACS scalability, there is another kind of challenge to providing PACS access across a single enterprise or multiple enterprises.
While the DICOM model has made significant improvements to standardize the data storage structure and to ease data exchange, the DICOM model does not necessarily reflect a clinical record oriented, or procedure-centric, organization of clinical data.

Method used

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  • Enterprise imaging worklist server and method of use
  • Enterprise imaging worklist server and method of use
  • Enterprise imaging worklist server and method of use

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example 1

[0051] An enterprise implements an image management system across multiple sites. Using an EWL server adds a very efficient alternative under certain circumstances. If a number of the sites manage their imaging interpretation workflow, data acquisition, and data storage locally, then a number of independent PACS may be deployed at each site. Each PACS may be connected with the EWL server to provide enterprise-wide imaging data access. Networking the PACS with the EWL server removes the performance and availability interdependency of sites that may occur if a single network solution was deployed, but still allows image access across multiple sites.

example 2

[0052] An enterprise seeks to share image data across more than twenty sites. Such a large enterprise would be unwieldy using current systems. However, an EWL server may connect to twenty or more PACS and provide a single view of the imaging data to the clinical user, as if the imaging data is managed in one system. In addition, the procedure-centric approach to image access may give the clinical user exactly the same experience of viewing images as when the images are viewed in a local PACS workstation.

example 3

[0053] An enterprise seeks to unify its image data management, but has various image handling platform from different vendors. This unification across different platforms is possible because the EWL server architecture is open. For each platform, different protocols may be implemented for procedure submission as well as for querying worklists based on unique procedure views. Thus, an enterprise image distribution environment may be created even though heterogonous image management system products operate at each site.

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Abstract

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a networked healthcare data management system. Certain embodiments of the data management system include a healthcare data archive connected to a network wherein the archived data comprises diagnostic, therapeutic, and demographic data. Certain embodiments further include a worklist server connected to the network wherein the worklist server receives data descriptors from the healthcare data archive and compiles the data descriptors into worklists. Certain embodiments also include a client system connected to a network wherein the client system queries the worklist server and the worklist server answers the queries by providing at least the network location of the archived data.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] [Not Applicable]FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002] [Not Applicable]MICROFICHE / COPYRIGHT REFERENCE [0003] [Not Applicable]BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0004] Embodiments of the present system and method relate generally to electronic communications in a healthcare setting. Particularly, certain embodiments relate to providing scalable, procedure-centric management of patient data across multiple networked sites. [0005] Healthcare facilities often employ certain types of digital diagnostic imaging modalities, such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound imaging, and X-ray imaging. These digital diagnostic imaging modalities use a common format for image data, known as Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM). The evolution of the DICOM format facilitated the development and expansion of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS). Use of the DICOM semantics provided by the DICOM format has become th...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): G06Q10/00G06F17/30G06F7/00G16H30/20G16H30/40
CPCG06F19/321G06Q50/24G06Q50/22G06F19/327G16H40/20G16H30/40G16H30/20
InventorBAO, YONGJIANSTOVAL, WILLIAM IIIXU, XIAOFENG
OwnerGENERAL ELECTRIC CO