Help has arrived for radiologists who want to make the best use of the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise integration profiles when selecting and implementing informatics technology. The IHE released a radiology-specific handbook at the SCAR meeting that guides readers in the use of IHE profiles, said Kevin O'Donnell, co-chair of the IHE radiology planning committee.
The first of the handbook's two sections covers purchasing decisions and explains how to choose the appropriate integration profiles that can improve throughput and reduce errors. It also shows radiologists how to find products that implement desired integration profiles and how to incorporate those profile requirements into a request for purchase.
The second section explains how IHE integration profiles facilitate installation and operation of the various systems radiology departments employ, including the radiology information system, PACS, modalities, and workstations. Radiologists will find information on how to conduct acceptance testing, leverage electronic workflows, and interface with non-IHE systems.
The IHE initiative covers eight domains, including radiology and cardiology, and has deployed 28 profiles. The radiology IHE domain, which is sponsored by the RSNA, covers 13 deployed profiles, including the consistent presentation of images, presentation of grouped procedures, and portable data for imaging profiles.
Additionally, the IHE will publish new radiology supplements covering teaching files and clinical trial export, a radiology option for the audit trail node authentication profile, and a cross-enterprise document-sharing profile for imaging, which will cover distribution of radiology reports and images across different vendor and hospital systems.
The cross-enterprise document-sharing profile for imaging supplement will be open to public comment between June 15 and July 15.
The handbook was designed to provide guidance to the radiologists who must purchase, install, and operate radiology informatics systems, O'Donnell said.
