System and method for sharing radiological data between healthcare facilities

Description

Description of the Industrial Invention having for title: “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DATA SHARING RADIOLOGY BETWEEN HEALTHCARE FACILITIES” in the name of: UNIVERSITY OF PALERMO, with headquarters in Piazza Marina, 61 – 90133 PALERMO (PA). Designated Inventors: RASPANTE Riccardo, GRASSEDONIO Emanuel. Filed under no. DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a system and a method for sharing data radiological, in particular images and reports radiological, between healthcare facilities. More specifically, the invention relates to a data exchange system between RIS systems (Radiology Information System) and PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) of the different ones health facilities (public, contracted or private) that allows sharing and recovery of radiological images and related data reports through a single access interface. RIS systems are known in the art (Radiology Information System) and PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) that allow to store, retrieve and display images diagnostics in digital format, improving the efficiency and quality of care health care. With the advent of digitalization in the field doctor, these systems have become tools essential for management and archiving of radiological information. However, despite technological advances, several problems persist in sharing of radiological data between healthcare facilities different. One of the main obstacles is the lack of interoperability between RIS / PACS systems different structures, which often use software and different communication protocols. This makes direct exchange is difficult, if not impossible of images and reports between hospitals, clinics and different diagnostic centers. Another critical issue is represented by the security and privacy of sensitive data patients during the sharing process. transmission of medical information requires high standards of protection to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data, in compliance with the current data protection regulations personal. Furthermore, the lack of a system centralized for the search and recovery of exams precedents often involve the repetition of diagnostic investigations already carried out, with consequent increase in healthcare costs, of patient exposure to radiation and waiting times for services. The difficulty in quickly accessing exams precedents also limits the possibility for doctors to make accurate comparisons and evaluations of the patients' conditions, potentially compromising the quality of diagnoses and therapeutic decisions. The purpose of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned technical problems front providing a system for sharing of radiological data between healthcare facilities that enables safe and efficient sharing of radiological data, reduce the need for repeat tests and improve access to clinical information relevant, eliminating the need for software specialized on operators' computers, simplifying access to images and reducing the implementation costs. The above and other purposes and benefits of the invention, as will result from the following of the description, are achieved with a system and a method for sharing radiological data between health facilities such as the one described in the independent claims. Embodiments favorites and non-trivial variants of this one inventions form the object of the claims employees. It is understood that all claims attached form an integral part of this document. description. The present invention will be better described from some preferred embodiments, provided by way of example and not limitation, with reference to the attached drawings, in which: - FIG. 1 shows a diagram of a system for sharing radiological data between facilities sanitary ware according to the present invention; - FIG. 2 shows a diagram of a system for sharing radiological data between facilities sanitary ware according to the present invention. Referring to the Figures, it is illustrated and a preferred embodiment is described of the present invention. It will be immediately obvious that one can make countless variations to what has been described and changes (for example relating to shape, dimensions, arrangements and parts with functionality equivalents) without departing from the field of protection of the invention as it appears from the claims attached. With reference to the Figures, the system 100 for sharing radiological data between health care facilities according to the present invention includes a central broker server 10, a plurality of 30 local integration servers and one virtual private network (VPN) 40, used for securely connect to the central broker server 10 to 30 local integration servers ensuring that sensitive data is transmitted in a manner protected and confidential. The central broker server 10 is configured to handle search requests of radiological examinations sent by the facilities affiliated health care providers and is configured to perform synchronous calls to integration servers 30 premises to retrieve the requested information. 30 local integration servers, installed at each affiliated health facility, are configured to interface with RIS systems (Radiology Information System) 51 and / or PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) 52 rooms, receive requests from the central broker server 10, perform searches in local systems and return the results to the central broker server 10. Preferably, the 100 system for the sharing of radiological data includes a web interface on the central broker server 10 which allows operators to send and manage search requests. For example, the broker server Central 10 can be configured to forward the search requests to integration servers 30 local via VPN 40, and the servers of 30 local integration can be configured to perform searches in RIS 51 and / or PACS systems 52 premises in response to the requests received and send results to the central broker server 10. Preferably, the central broker server 10 is configured to present aggregate results to the requesting operator via the interface web, allowing the operator to view easily search results from different healthcare facilities in a single interface access, facilitating the management and analysis of data and thus improving the quality of the service offered to patients. The web interface 20 can be accessed via a computing device, such as a computer or a mobile device, and can provide an intuitive user interface for sending and management of search requests. The request search may include various search criteria, such as the patient's name, the date of the examination, the type of exam, and so on. Once you receive the search request, the central broker server 10 can forward the request to the servers of integration of 30 rooms in the facilities affiliated health care providers, preferably through the VPN connection 40. VPN connection 40 is configured to provide a secure connection and encrypted between the central broker server 10 and the 30 local integration servers, protecting the sensitive patient data during the transmission. In addition, the VPN connection 40 can allow central broker server 10 to communicate with 30 local integration servers in real time, allowing for rapid response to search requests. Advantageously, the 100 system for the sharing radiological data between facilities The invention provides a sanitary platform robust and safe that efficiently supports integration and interoperability between the various health information systems, ensuring a optimal management of resources and communications. For example, the 100 system can understand a set of software technologies used on 10, 30 servers, such as LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) or nginx, PACS / DICOM Web Viewer, and brokerage and integration services. For example, system 100 may include a PACS / DICOM Web Viewer component used for view radiological images in format DICOM, a standard format used for preservation and transmission of images medical. The PACS / DICOM Web Viewer can be integrated with the broker server web interface Central 10, allowing operators to view radiological images directly from the web interface. Preferably, the system 100 can allow patients to download their results their exams. For example, once an exam is been run and the results have been uploaded on the system, the patient can access the system 100 via a dedicated web interface and download the results of his examination. This can allow the patients to have immediate access and convenient to the results of their exams, without the need to physically visit the facility health care. Preferably, the system 100 can integrate with the Electronic Health Record system. The Electronic Health Record is a system that collects and stores medical information about a patient in a digital format. Integration with The Electronic Health Record allows the system for accessing and using information medical information of the patient, such as medical history, test results and medical prescriptions, to improve the accuracy and efficiency of research. Furthermore, the 100 system can allow the retrospective study of previously discovered findings analyzed to facilitate scientific research. For example, the system can store images radiological and examination reports in a format digital, allowing operators to access and analyze the data at a later time. This It can be particularly useful for research scientific, as it can allow the operators to study the evolution of a disease or to evaluate the effectiveness of a treatment in time. In detail, the 100 system can use a set of software technologies on 10 servers, 30, such as LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) or nginx. This software stack provides a platform robust and flexible for the execution of the web applications required for operation of the system. For example, LAMP or nginx can be used to handle HTTP requests, run PHP scripts, manage MySQL databases, and serve static files. In some cases, the system may include a display module PACS / DICOM (Web Viewer), which can be used to view radiological images in DICOM format, a standard format used for the preservation and transmission of images medical. As for the hardware, the system 100 requires a specific hardware configuration to ensure adequate performance, safety and reliability. For example, the Server Broker can require a minimum of 8 CPU cores, 16 GB of RAM and 500 GB of storage. Additionally, the system can use routers of the Fortigate FG-30E model for establish secure VPN connections between the server 10 central brokers and 30 integration servers local ones at healthcare facilities. These routers can ensure the protection of sensitive data transmitted, providing a secure connection and encrypted between the various components of the system 100. Furthermore, the system 100 of the invention can request the patient's consent for the data transfer. This consent can be obtained through a consent form in specific format, which can be digital or paper. The informed consent form can explain in detail to the patient how his data will be used, who will have access to your data and how your data will be protected. In some cases, the patient may have the option to revoke the your consent at any time. Advantageously, the 100 system for the sharing radiological data between facilities sanitary ware according to the invention allows a seamless integration between the various active services in health facilities, improving the information sharing and collaboration between different entities. Another advantage of the 100 second system the invention is to reduce the time needed to obtain the requested information. For example, the centralization of research requests and Process automation can reduce times necessary to obtain the requested information. Furthermore, the system 100 of the invention ensures the protection of sensitive data transmitted between structures. Some preferred forms of have been described. implementation of the invention, but of course they are subject to further changes and variations within the scope of the same inventive idea. In In particular, experts in the field will find it clear numerous variants are immediately evident and modifications, functionally equivalent to the previous ones, which fall within the scope of protection of the invention as highlighted in the attached claims in which, if any reference marks placed in brackets are not can be interpreted as limiting the claims themselves. Furthermore, the word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements and / or phases other than those listed in the claims. The article "a", "one" or "una" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The simple fact that some features are mentioned in different dependent claims between them indicates that a combination of these characteristics cannot be advantageously used.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. System (100) for sharing radiological data between healthcare facilities, comprising: a central server (10); a plurality of local servers (30), each installed at an affiliated healthcare facility; a network (40) connecting the central server (10) to the local servers (30); an interface on the central server (10) allowing operators to send search requests, characterised in that: the central server is a broker server (10) configured to coordinate search requests for radiological examinations; the local servers installed at the affiliated healthcare facilities are integration servers (30) configured to interface with local RIS (51) and / or PACS (52) systems; the network is a virtual private network (40) securely connecting the central broker server (10) to the local integration servers (30);the central broker server (10) is configured to forward search requests to the local integration servers (30) via the virtual private network (40), the local integration servers (30) are configured to perform searches in the local RIS (51) and / or PACS (52) systems in response to the received requests and send the results to the central broker server (10), and the central broker server (10) is configured to present the aggregated results to the requesting operator via the interface.; 2. System (100) for sharing radiological data between healthcare facilities according to claim 1, characterised in that the interface is a web interface.

3. System (100) for sharing radiological data between healthcare facilities according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the central broker server (10) comprises a digital consent form configured to obtain the patient's authorisation before sharing his data between healthcare facilities.

4. System (100) for sharing radiological data between healthcare facilities according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the local integration servers (30) are configured to convert the data coming from the local RIS (51) and / or PACS (52) systems into a standardised format before sending them to the central broker server (10).

5. System (100) for sharing radiological data between healthcare facilities according to any of claims 2 to 4, characterised in that it further comprises a PACS / DICOM viewing module integrated into the web interface of the broker server, which allows operators to view radiological images directly from the browser.

6. System (100) for sharing radiological data between healthcare facilities according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the radiological data are images and radiological reports.

7. A method for sharing radiological data between healthcare facilities using a system (100) according to any of the preceding claims, comprising the steps of: receiving, via an interface on a central server (10), a request to search for radiological examinations from an operator; forwarding the search request from the central server (10) to a plurality of local servers (30); performing, by each local server (30), a search in response to the received request; sending the search results from each local server (30) to the central server (10); and presenting, via the interface, the results to the requesting operator.

8. A method for sharing radiological data between healthcare facilities according to claim 7, characterized in that it further comprises the step of obtaining digital consent from the patient before sharing his data between the healthcare facilities.

9. Method for sharing radiological data between healthcare facilities according to any of claims 7 or 8, characterised in that the local servers (30) convert the data coming from the local RIS / PACS systems into a standardised format before sending them to the central server (10).

10. A method for sharing radiological data between healthcare facilities according to any of claims 7 to 9, characterised in that the radiological data are radiological images and reports, the interface is a web interface and characterised in that it further comprises the step of displaying radiological images directly from a browser via a PACS / DICOM viewing module integrated into the web interface of the central server (10).