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Biomedical subjects

W Grimson

Publications and source records attributed to W Grimson.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

A multimedia approach to raising awareness of information and communications technology amongst healthcare professionals.

This study is concerned with the application of advanced multimedia technology to the development of a programme aimed at raising awareness of information and communications technology (ICT) amongst health professionals in Ireland. The programme is delivered in the form of a symposium supplemented by a multimedia CD and associated web site. It examines how ICT can be used effectively in healthcare across all sectors - primary, secondary and tertiary - with a strong emphasis on supporting shared care. The aim is to empower users to make informed technological choices and to actively participate in the exploitation of ICT in the health sector. The programme was successfully completed and delivered to over 2300 health professionals across Ireland and follow-up activities include the active encouragement of leaders and champions within the sector. This will be supported by interactive web-based education and training material focused on specialised topics of particular interest within the broader context of continuing medical education (CME).

Computer Literacy↗

An IT awareness programme for the health sector in Ireland.

This paper describes an Awareness Programme delivered throughout Ireland which aims to increase the level of understanding of healthcare professionals as to the benefits of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and of emerging trends in Health Informatics in Europe. The programme examines the use of ICT across the whole health sector--primary, secondary and tertiary. It has been delivered at over 30 centres to more than 1500 health professionals.

Computer Literacy↗

The holistic architectural approach to integrating the healthcare record in the overall information system.

The integration and evolution of existing systems represents one of the most urgent problems facing those responsible for healthcare information systems so that the needs of the whole organisation are addressed. The management of the healthcare record represents one of the major requirements in the overall process, however it is also necessary to ensure that the healthcare record and other healthcare information is integrated within the context of an overall healthcare information system. The CEN ENV 12967-1 'Healthcare Information Systems Architecture' standard defines a holistic architectural approach where the various, organisational, clinical, administrative and managerial requirements co-exist and cooperate, relying on a common heritage of information and services. This paper reviews the middleware-based approach adopted by CEN ENV 12967-1 and the specialisation necessary for the healthcare record based on CEN ENV 12265 'Electronic Healthcare Record Architecture'.

Computer Systems↗

A CORBA-based integration of distributed electronic healthcare records using the synapses approach.

The ability to exchange in a meaningful, secure, and simple fashion relevant healthcare data about patients is seen as vital in the context of efficient and cost-effective shared or team-based care. The electronic healthcare record (EHCR) lies at the heart of this information exchange, and it follows that there is an urgent need to address the ability to share EHCR's or parts of records between carers and across distributed health information systems. This paper presents the Synapses approach to sharing based on a standardized shared record, the Federated Healthcare Record, which is implemented in an open and flexible manner using the Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA). The architecture of the Federated Healthcare Record is based on the architecture proposed by the Technical Committee 251 of the European Committee for Standardization.

Medical Record Linkage↗

Synapses in the context of healthcare information systems.

The Electronic Healthcare Record will increasingly lie at the heart of the Healthcare Information Systems of the future, and the ability to share safely and meaningfully patient records between Hospital Information Systems depends crucially on an agreed architecture for EHCR. This paper describes the approach to providing access to Federated Healthcare Records as proposed by Synapses, a pan-European project funded under the EU Health Telematics Programme, through the use of a record server. The positioning of this server within the Healthcare Information Systems Architecture is discussed together with some suitable candidate technologies for implementation.

Computer Communication Networks↗

A new clinical laboratory information system architecture from the OpenLabs project offering advanced services for laboratory staff and users.

The OpenLabs project aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical laboratory services by integrating decision support systems with laboratory information systems and equipment. Standards for electronic data interchange between laboratories and other medical systems using the EUCLIDES/OpenLabs coding scheme and an open architecture for clinical laboratory information systems have been specified. This article gives an account of the proposed architecture and outlines new software applications being developed using the architecture which provide advanced services for ordering and reporting of laboratory tests, advanced instrument workstation and laboratory management services, including an OpenLabs Service Manager application which co-ordinates the available services.

Chemistry, Clinical↗

Specifying an open clinical laboratory information system.

This paper presents an overview of the architectural infrastructure in which existing laboratory information systems can be made to interoperate with additional modules offering a range of advanced clinical laboratory functionalities. The infrastructure is based on an open distributed computing platform, and its specification is described using the open distributed processing reference model.

Clinical Laboratory Information Systems↗

Computational viewpoint of the OpenLabs architecture.

The computational viewpoint of the OpenLabs architecture specification concentrates on the definition of the functional interfaces between the logical modules that make up the clinical laboratory as defined in the enterprise and information viewpoints. A method is presented which transforms the information models into a specification written in Abstract Syntax Notation One (ASN.1). It is then shown how the specification can be translated into an Interface Definition Language (IDL) of a 'middleware' product which can then be compiled for implementation on a distributed system.

Clinical Laboratory Information Systems↗

Managing the operation of open distributed laboratory information systems.

This paper examines how the concepts and designs of workflow management systems and distributed systems management can be integrated and customized to manage open laboratory computing services. The paper outlines the objectives of managing laboratory computing services and identifies techniques and designs which facilitate this management. The paper also outlines the implementation of an open laboratory service management system.

Clinical Laboratory Information Systems↗

OpenLabs advanced instrument workstation services.

The advanced instrument workstation (AIW) is one of a number of system modules developed in the OpenLabs project, offering advanced services that complement the basic services available from laboratory information systems (LIS) in general. The AIW services relate to instrument interfacing, user interfacing, quality control, calibration verification, patient result validation, local and remote fault diagnosis and maintenance, and external quality assessment (EQA) by external organisations.

Clinical Laboratory Information Systems↗

Remote instrument telemaintenance.

In the past decade, great technological progress has been made in telemaintenance of mainframe and mini computers. As hardware technology is now available at an acceptable cost, computer aided trouble-shooting can be adapted to laboratory instrumentation in order to significantly improve repair time, avoid instrument downtime by taking advantage of predictive methods, and provide general diagnostic assistance. Depending on the size of the instrument, the telemaintenance facility can be dedicated to a single instrument or alternatively a telemaintenance server can manage multiple distributed small instruments through a Local Area Network. As complex failures can occur, the local diagnosis capabilities may be exceeded and automatic dialing for connection to computerized Remote Maintenance Centers is needed. The main advantages of such a centre, as compared to local diagnosis systems, are the increased access to more information and experience of failures from instrument installations, and consequently the provision of training data updates for Artificial Neural Networks and Knowledge Based Systems in general. When an abnormal situation is detected or anticipated by a diagnosis module, an automatic alert is given to the user, local diagnosis is activated, and for simple solutions, instructions are given to the operator. In the last resort, a human expert can be alerted who, with remote control tools, can attend to the failures. For both local and remote trouble-shooting, the data provided by the instrument and connected workstation is of paramount importance for the efficiency and accuracy of the diagnosis. Equally, the importance of standardization of telemaintenance communication protocols is addressed.

Clinical Laboratory Information Systems↗

The OpenLabs approach to clinical laboratory computing.

This paper describes the architectural infrastructure to support a number of advanced functionalties for the clinical laboratory developed by OpenLabs. This infrastructure is based on an open distributed computing platform. A brief overview is given of the advanced functionalities provided by the OpenLabs modules through the novel application of knowledge-based systems, databases, and telematics; we also describe the communications architecture which allows these modules to interoperate with each other and with existing Laboratory Information Systems and instruments. The OpenLabs approach to the provision of generic interfaces to such existing systems is described, together with the OpenLabs Service Manager which supports the automated management of the laboratory in this distributed computing environment.

Artificial Intelligence↗

Federated healthcare record server--the Synapses paradigm.

The delivery of healthcare relies on the sharing of patient information between those who are providing for the care of the patient and this information is increasingly being expressed in terms of a 'record'. Further, it is desirable that these records are available in electronic form as Electronic HealthCare Records. As it is likely that patient records or parts of records will be stored in many different information systems and in the form of disparate record architectures, uniform access to patient records would be problematic. This paper presents an overview of the Synapses computing environment in which a Federated Healthcare Record Server provides uniform access to patient information stored in connected heterogeneous autonomous information systems and other Synapses servers. The Synapses record architecture is based on the architecture proposed by the Technical Committee 251 of the European Committee for Standardisation and the interfaces to the Synapses server are specified in the ISO standard Interface Definition Language. Synapses is a pan-European project involving a number of hospitals, software companies, universities and research institutes and is partly funded by the EU Health Telematics Programme. The overview is described in terms of the Open Distributed Processing Reference Model.

Computer Communication Networks↗