Interoperability and Considerations for Standards-Based Exchange of Medical Images: HIMSS-SIIM Collaborative White Paper.

This white paper explores the considerations of standards-based interoperability of medical images between organizations, patients, and providers. In this paper, we will look at three different standards-based image exchange implementations that have been deployed to facilitate exchange of images between provider organizations. The paper will describe how each implementation uses applicable technology and standards; the image types that are included; and the governance policies that define participation, access, and trust. Limitations of the solution or non-standard approaches to solve challenges will also be identified. Much can be learned from successes elsewhere, and those learnings will point to recommendations of best practices to facilitate the adoption of image exchange.

10 Steps to Strategically Build and Implement your Enterprise Imaging System: HIMSS-SIIM Collaborative White Paper.

An enterprise imaging (EI) strategy is an organized plan to optimize the electronic health record (EHR) so that healthcare providers have intuitive and immediate access to all patient clinical images and their associated documentation, regardless of source. We describe ten steps recommended to achieve the goal of implementing EI for an institution. The first step is to define and access all images used for medical decision-making. Next, demonstrate how EI is a powerful strategy for enhancing patient and caregiver experience, improving population health, and reducing cost. Then, it is recommended that one must understand the specialties and their clinical workflow challenges as related to imaging. Step four is to create a strategy to improve quality of care and patient safety with EI. Step five demonstrates how EI can reduce costs. Then, show how EI can help enhance the patient experience. Step seven suggests how EI can enhance the work life of caregivers and step eight describes how to develop EI governance. Step nine describes the plan to implement an EI project, and finally, step 10, to understand cybersecurity from a patient safety perspective and to protect images from accidental and malicious intrusion.

Technical Challenges of Enterprise Imaging: HIMSS-SIIM Collaborative White Paper.

This white paper explores the technical challenges and solutions for acquiring (capturing) and managing enterprise images, particularly those involving visible light applications. The types of acquisition devices used for various general-purpose photography and specialized applications including dermatology, endoscopy, and anatomic pathology are reviewed. The formats and standards used, and the associated metadata requirements and communication protocols for transfer and workflow are considered. Particular emphasis is placed on the importance of metadata capture in both order- and encounter-based workflow. The benefits of using DICOM to provide a standard means of recording and accessing both metadata and image and video data are considered, as is the role of IHE and FHIR.

Considerations for Exchanging and Sharing Medical Images for Improved Collaboration and Patient Care: HIMSS-SIIM Collaborative White Paper.

The need for providers and patients to exchange and share imaging has never been more apparent, yet many organizations are only now, as a part of a larger enterprise imaging initiative, taking steps to streamline an important process that has historically been facilitated with the use of CDs or insecure methods of communication. This paper will provide an introduction to concepts and common-use cases for image exchange, outline challenges that have hindered adoption to date, and describe standards for image exchange that show increasing promise of being adopted by vendors and providers.