Radiology

Purpose

The i.s.h.med solution for radiology departments enables:

  • support to the work and communication processes in the radiology department and ensures the timely and qualitative provision of the required data.

  • data transfer between i.s.h.med radiology on the one hand and radiological examination devices (modalities) and the image archive systems (PACS) on the other hand using defined communication events and interfaces.

Integration

i.s.h.med radiology is an integral part of the Hospital Information System (IS-H und i.s.h.med) and fulfills the function of a Radiology Information System (RIS). Modalities and the PACS are technically connected by means of a communication server and specific, standardized messages in DICOM format. Moreover, an array of radiology-specific and general functions accommodate, for example, the control of image viewers and the formatting of information from the RIS for the management of studies, results, patients, and worklists.

Depending on the requirements of individual institutions, i.s.h.med radiology is scalable. The is.h.med radiology component can be used autonomously, if there is no digital communication between RIS and PACS.

Features

As the RIS, i.s.h.med radiology constitutes the functional link between the Clinical Information System (CIS) and the radiological modalities and the Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS).

Standard-compliant communication with the modalities and the PACS can be realized, for example, using the DICOM-enabled middleware Spirit Transaction Bridge from TIANI, or an independent middleware.

Both the transmission of patient-related administrative information from the CIS to the PACS and the entry and subsequent retrieval of medical information (anamnesis, status, findings, findings from other departments) on corresponding radiological work stations, are important basic functions of the RIS.

The area of request entry and inbound request processing is a focal point which provides the best possible support to the planning process including resource planning and scheduling in the preliminary stages of the actual examination.

In addition to the support of the examination process, the Findings and Write work stations represent two other important elements of standard work processes in radiology; these are both equipped with systematic navigation aids and functions.

Some of the functions described in the following sections are general i.s.h.med or IS-H functions which have not been modified especially for Radiology. However, we have included them in this documentation in order to display the whole process in a radiological department.