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Library strategies differentially shape microbial, functional, and host signals in clinical metagenomic sequencing.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is increasingly used in infectious disease diagnostics, yet how library preparation shapes the microbial, functional, and host signals recovered from clinical samples remains poorly defined. Here, we performed a within-sample parallel comparison of three mNGS library preparation strategies-DNA-based libraries (DNAlib), RNA-based libraries (RNAlib), and total nucleic acid-based libraries (TNAlib)-across a diverse range of clinical specimens spanning five sample types. Using a curated clinical infectome as a benchmark, we show that library strategies are not interchangeable but capture distinct biological dimensions of the same specimen. RNAlib provided the most comprehensive standalone recovery of the clinical infectome, with improved detection of RNA viruses and cellular pathogens, enhanced resolution of resistance and virulence signals, and preservation of infection-associated host immune signatures. DNAlib showed stronger baseline recovery of DNA viruses and broader host genome coverage, whereas the TNAlib workflow evaluated here largely behaved as an intermediate strategy rather than a consistent improvement over dedicated DNA- or RNA-based workflows. Together, these results establish that the library preparation protocol is a major determinant of how clinical mNGS data should be interpreted and provide a framework for selecting sequencing strategies according to specific diagnostic and biological questions.IMPORTANCEMetagenomic sequencing is increasingly used in infectious disease research and clinical diagnostics, but different library preparation strategies may recover fundamentally different biological signals from the same sample. These signals include not only pathogens but also background microbes, microbial functional activity, and host immune-response patterns. Here, we systematically compared DNA-, RNA-, and total nucleic acid-based metagenomic sequencing libraries using the same clinical samples processed in parallel. We found that the three strategies did not provide equivalent information. RNA-based sequencing generated the most informative single-library view of infection, particularly for RNA viruses, cellular pathogens, functional microbial signals, and host immune-response patterns. DNA-based sequencing was more effective for DNA virus and host genome recovery, whereas the total nucleic acid sequencing workflow evaluated here generally behaved as an intermediate strategy. These findings show that library preparation can substantially influence the interpretation of metagenomic data.

functional characterization↗

[Organisation of studies].

Haemato-oncological studies in private practices for haematology and oncology have been identified as an important instrument for quality assurance in the treatment of haemato-oncological patients. As the organisational structures of private practices for haematology and oncology are usually highly complex the inclusion into studies needs a high motivation and binds resources. Workflow was observed in four private practices for haematology and oncology. With this data, suggestions for a common workflow model for study inclusion in private practices were elaborated and are discussed in this article. A common workflow-model of study inclusion for private practices is illustrated in two flow charts. If patients are to be successfully included in studies, additional structures and resources have to be implemented. Beyond this the necessary steps for study inclusion must be incorporated into the everyday routine of the practices.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Clinical, information and business process modeling to promote development of safe and flexible software.

Using a factorial vignette survey and modeling methodology, we developed clinical and information models - incorporating evidence base, key concepts, relevant terms, decision-making and workflow needed to practice safely and effectively - to guide the development of an integrated rule-based knowledge module to support prescribing decisions in asthma. We identified workflows, decision-making factors, factor use, and clinician information requirements. The Unified Modeling Language (UML) and public domain software and knowledge engineering tools (e.g. Protégé) were used, with the Australian GP Data Model as the starting point for expressing information needs. A Web Services service-oriented architecture approach was adopted within which to express functional needs, and clinical processes and workflows were expressed in the Business Process Execution Language (BPEL). This formal analysis and modeling methodology to define and capture the process and logic of prescribing best practice in a reference implementation is fundamental to tackling deficiencies in prescribing decision support software.

Asthma↗

Correction of patient positioning errors based on in-line cone beam CTs: clinical implementation and first experiences.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was the clinical implementation of a kV cone beam CT (CBCT) for setup correction in radiotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: For evaluation of the setup correction workflow, six tumor patients (lung cancer, sacral chordoma, head-and-neck and paraspinal tumor, and two prostate cancer patients) were selected. All patients were treated with fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy, five of them with intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). For patient fixation, a scotch cast body frame or a vacuum pillow, each in combination with a scotch cast head mask, were used. The imaging equipment, consisting of an x-ray tube and a flat panel imager (FPI), was attached to a Siemens linear accelerator according to the in-line approach, i.e. with the imaging beam mounted opposite to the treatment beam sharing the same isocenter. For dose delivery, the treatment beam has to traverse the FPI which is mounted in the accessory tray below the multi-leaf collimator. For each patient, a predefined number of imaging projections over a range of at least 200 degrees were acquired. The fast reconstruction of the 3D-CBCT dataset was done with an implementation of the Feldkamp-David-Kress (FDK) algorithm. For the registration of the treatment planning CT with the acquired CBCT, an automatic mutual information matcher and manual matching was used. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Bony landmarks were easily detected and the table shifts for correction of setup deviations could be automatically calculated in all cases. The image quality was sufficient for a visual comparison of the desired target point with the isocenter visible on the CBCT. Soft tissue contrast was problematic for the prostate of an obese patient, but good in the lung tumor case. The detected maximum setup deviation was 3 mm for patients fixated with the body frame, and 6 mm for patients positioned in the vacuum pillow. Using an action level of 2 mm translational error, a target point correction was carried out in 4 cases. The additional workload of the described workflow compared to a normal treatment fraction led to an extra time of about 10-12 minutes, which can be further reduced by streamlining the different steps. CONCLUSION: The cone beam CT attached to a LINAC allows the acquisition of a CT scan of the patient in treatment position directly before treatment. Its image quality is sufficient for determining target point correction vectors. With the presented workflow, a target point correction within a clinically reasonable time frame is possible. This increases the treatment precision, and potentially the complex patient fixation techniques will become dispensable.

Automation↗

MetaServe: a lightweight, metadata-aware governance and delivery layer for pre-publication research omics data.

BACKGROUND: Institutional research teams and core facilities routinely manage pre-publication omics datasets that span heterogeneous file types, nested project structures, and multiple downstream uses. Public repositories mainly support post-publication dissemination, while workflow systems and enterprise data platforms do not directly provide a lightweight governance and delivery layer for internal research assets. RESULTS: We present MetaServe, an open-source governance and delivery layer for pre-publication research assets in institutional multi-omics settings. MetaServe registers and delivers heterogeneous assets, including sequencing files, processed matrices, imaging data, analysis-ready objects, tabular files, and documents, without requiring repository-grade standardization. Its metadata-aware design combines file-type recognition, partial automatic extraction for selected formats, manually supplied project and biological annotations, and indexed faceted retrieval. MetaServe supports authenticated web download, viewer-oriented handoff for compatible services such as cellxgene, and path-manifest export for downstream workflows under shared-storage assumptions. The current implementation combines role-based controls, explicit file-level sharing, path-constrained delivery, and operational traceability to support controlled institutional access. MetaServe has been deployed at the Chinese Institutes for Medical Research (CIMR) as part of an institutional multi-omics data-management system. CONCLUSIONS: MetaServe provides a practical layer between institutional storage and downstream analytical platforms for pre-publication research data. Its contribution is the integration of lightweight metadata-aware registration, permission-aware retrieval, and controlled delivery for heterogeneous institutional omics assets. Rather than replacing workflow engines, public repositories, or enterprise-scale research data platforms, MetaServe offers a deployable governance layer for core facilities and collaborative teams that need structured discovery and traceable delivery before public deposition or manuscript release.

Metadata↗

Bridging the guideline implementation gap: a systematic, document-centered approach to guideline implementation.

OBJECTIVE: A gap exists between the information contained in published clinical practice guidelines and the knowledge and information that are necessary to implement them. This work describes a process to systematize and make explicit the translation of document-based knowledge into workflow-integrated clinical decision support systems. DESIGN: This approach uses the Guideline Elements Model (GEM) to represent the guideline knowledge. Implementation requires a number of steps to translate the knowledge contained in guideline text into a computable format and to integrate the information into clinical workflow. The steps include: (1) selection of a guideline and specific recommendations for implementation, (2) markup of the guideline text, (3) atomization, (4) deabstraction and (5) disambiguation of recommendation concepts, (6) verification of rule set completeness, (7) addition of explanations, (8) building executable statements, (9) specification of origins of decision variables and insertions of recommended actions, (10) definition of action types and selection of associated beneficial services, (11) choice of interface components, and (12) creation of requirement specification. RESULTS: The authors illustrate these component processes using examples drawn from recent experience translating recommendations from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's guideline on management of chronic asthma into a workflow-integrated decision support system that operates within the Logician electronic health record system. CONCLUSION: Using the guideline document as a knowledge source promotes authentic translation of domain knowledge and reduces the overall complexity of the implementation task. From this framework, we believe that a better understanding of activities involved in guideline implementation will emerge.

Asthma↗

Changing medical group behaviors: increasing the rate of documentation of quality assurance events using an anesthesia information system.

In the United States, quality assurance (QA) documentation is required by numerous agencies for each anesthetic performed. The goal of this study was to determine the effect of several interventions on the voluntary completion rate of QA documentation. We hypothesized that optimizing workflow integration would increase both QA completion rates and complication capture rates and promote long-term successful changes in reporting behavior. Whereas electronic scanning of anesthetic records may automate some aspects of QA, there will continue to be a need for anesthesiologists to enter QA documentation that cannot be automated. Starting from a baseline completion rate of 48%, we instituted a series of interventions. We successively increased the completion rate to 55% (education), 68% (workflow integration), and 78% (individual feedback). Each intervention increased the completion rate from the previous intervention (P < 0.001). The increased completion rate suggests better overall data capture, because the percentage of "no complication" entries decreased. After the study period, the completion rate increased to 94%, principally because of the improved workflow integration. As implementation of anesthesia information systems increases, attention to user interface design may be a key component in the functionality and utility of these systems.

Anesthesia↗

Guidelines for teleradiology practice: results of the Tyrolean teleradiology pilot project.

The Tyrolean telemedicine pilot project linked the University Clinic of Innsbruck and the district hospital in Reutte. Five medical specialties were investigated: teleradiology, telepathology, teledermatology, tele-ophthalmology and tele-oncology. A Tyrolean 'four-column model of quality management in telemedicine' was introduced to ensure a global view of the project and to avoid mistakes. In teleradiology, a 12-step workflow was developed, which described the medical responsibilities at each stage. We found that the defined teleradiology workflow and the technical equipment for data security and data exchange worked without problems in over 79% of a total of 424 cases. To ensure continuous quality assurance, the whole teleradiology workflow was ISO 9001:2000 certified.

Austria↗

Benefit for the patient of a teleradiology process certified to meet an international standard.

To guarantee the quality of teleradiology services in Austria we have developed an easy-to-use and continuously re-evaluated teleradiology workflow model. This is based on the quality management model (ISO 9001:2000) of the International Standardization Organization (ISO) and guarantees the quality of the process. From January 2002 to January 2003 we examined 544 emergency teleradiology computerized tomography studies transmitted to the Department of Radiology 2 in Innsbruck. The patients were from the rural hospital of Reutte. In 450 cases (83%) the sending of the written legal final report took less than 1 h. The numbers of mistakes (mostly minor workflow errors) were reduced from 23 errors per month in January 2002 to 9 errors per month in January 2003. The continuous cross-checking of the workflow and the training of the employees involved guaranteed a better standard of teleradiology in our department. Since December 2002, the whole Tyrolean teleradiology process has been ISO 9001:2000 certified.

Austria↗

Feasibility of incorporating computer-tailored health behaviour communications in primary care settings.

BACKGROUND: We set out to investigate the feasibility of incorporating a computer-tailored health behaviour program into routine care in a group of primary care practices in Rhode Island. METHODS: Two existing computer programs (physical activity, smoking) that tailored text and graphical feedback to survey responses were combined and adapted for use in primary care directly by patients. Ten primary care practices were recruited and worked closely with project staff to develop a practice-specific plan for incorporating the program into the workflow and office routine. Feasibility was measured by the percentage of patients who used the program during the day of their visit. RESULTS: Only one of the ten offices was able to successfully incorporate the program into their office workflow and delivery of routine care. The main categories of barriers to incorporating the computer program into routine care included: the program was viewed overall as inconsistent with practice workflow, the staff was inexperienced with the program, technical problems with the computer and/or printer, the program placed an additional time burden on staff who already felt overworked. Suggestions for improving the program or the way that it was incorporated into routine care included: shortening the program, modifying the program's orientation to a target population (such as patients with hypertension) and incorporating decision-support feedback to help physicians manage the target condition, modifying the program to include other programs pertinent to primary care (for example, depression screening), selecting patients to use the program, rather than asking all patients to use it. CONCLUSIONS: After working closely with ten highly motivated primary care offices, we were unable to fully implement a point-of-care health behaviour computer system for patients and providers. Suggestions for disseminating computer-tailored health behaviour communications in primary care settings are discussed.

Feasibility Studies↗

Single-section multiplex spatial proteomics of immune microenvironments in kidney transplantation.

Characterizing kidney disease is challenged by marked cellular heterogeneity and limited tissue availability from renal biopsies. Conventional diagnostic workflows rely on multiple serial sections for parallel staining, increasing tissue consumption, sampling bias, and loss of spatial information, thereby constraining molecular characterization within intact tissue architecture. High-plex spatial proteomics may overcome these limitations by enabling comprehensive molecular profiling on a single section. Here, we present and evaluate a high-plex cyclic immunofluorescence imaging workflow (MACSima&#x2122;, Miltenyi Biotec) applied to kidney transplant biopsies, including BK virus nephropathy (BKVN) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), to characterize spatial immune organization with a focus on complement system components. Feasibility and subcellular resolution were first assessed in a lupus nephritis section, demonstrating compatibility with diagnostic immune panels and preservation of tissue morphology. A 48-marker multiplex panel interrogating immunity, oxidative stress, senescence, and fibrosis was then applied to BKVN samples, including paired pre- and post-treatment biopsies, revealing distinct proteomic patterns and dynamic changes following therapy. In FSGS, a glomerulus-focused panel identified spatially resolved innate and adaptive immune signatures, including complement-related patterns supporting exploratory analysis of glomerular immune architecture. Structural, nuclear, membrane, and phosphorylated signaling markers enabled precise delineation of renal compartments and assessment of cellular states such as proliferation, DNA damage, and pathway activation. The workflow also supported detection of extracellular vesicles in cultured renal cells, highlighting its versatility. Overall, this approach provides a robust, tissue-sparing platform for integrated spatial and molecular profiling of renal biopsies, reducing sampling bias while enabling discovery-level phenotyping from a single section. This unified strategy is particularly suited to kidney transplantation, where diagnosis, therapeutic decision-making, and longitudinal monitoring are closely interconnected.

Kidney Transplantation↗

Genetic Identification of Burned Human Remains: A Systematic Review.

Background/Objectives: DNA-based identification of degraded human remains represents a major challenge in forensic science, particularly in cases involving burned, fragmented, or commingled bodies. Advances in forensic genetics have expanded the analytical capabilities for such samples; however, the effectiveness of different approaches and their integration within Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) workflows remain heterogeneous. This systematic review aims to critically evaluate current evidence on DNA-based identification of degraded remains, focusing on methodological strategies, emerging genomic technologies, and DVI applications, while integrating laboratory evidence and operational forensic practice into a structured analytical framework. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science from database inception to 5 June 2026, following PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Eligible studies included original research addressing DNA analysis of degraded, thermally altered, or highly compromised human remains in forensic or DVI contexts. After a multistep screening process involving title/abstract and full-text evaluation, 37 studies were included. Data were extracted and organized into three thematic categories: (i) core DNA analysis, (ii) advanced molecular technologies, and (iii) DVI case applications. Results: The findings demonstrate that DNA recovery from degraded remains is influenced by thermal exposure, tissue type, and sampling strategy. Teeth and dense cortical bone consistently provide higher DNA yield. While autosomal STR profiling remains the primary analytical approach, its limitations in highly degraded samples are mitigated through the complementary use of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), Y-chromosome STRs (Y-STRs), and SNP markers, together with advanced sequencing technologies such as massively parallel sequencing (MPS). Emerging technologies, including rapid DNA systems and predictive models based on macroscopic indicators, significantly enhance efficiency and success rates. DVI studies report identification rates exceeding 90-95% when multidisciplinary and structured workflows are applied. The evidence further supports a flexible triage-based analytical strategy, in which marker selection is guided by tissue preservation and degradation level. Conclusions: DNA-based identification of degraded human remains has evolved into an adaptive, multi-level forensic process. Successful outcomes rely on the integration of optimized sampling, hierarchical genetic analysis, and coordinated DVI strategies. The findings support a triage-based framework that links tissue selection, degradation assessment, and analytical methodology to maximize identification success. Future developments should focus on predictive models, advanced genomic tools, and standardized workflows to further improve identification in challenging forensic scenarios.

Humans↗

A High-Resolution Stereo-Seq Spatial Transcriptomic Resource for Adult Holstein Cattle Liver.

The bovine liver is a highly compartmentalized organ that plays essential roles in continuous gluconeogenesis and nitrogen recycling; however, its spatial molecular architecture has remained largely uncharacterized due to the limitations of traditional bulk and single-cell approaches. To address this gap, Spatial Enhanced Resolution Omics-sequencing (Stereo-seq) was utilized to generate a subcellular-resolution (500 nm) transcriptomic map of an adult Holstein cattle liver, and a refined reference-guided workflow was implemented to overcome standard annotation limitations in livestock. Raw sequencing data were processed using the Stereo-seq Analysis Workflow and analyzed with Stereopy, Seurat, SingleR, and reference-guided workflows. Spatial aggregation was evaluated at Bin20, Bin50, Bin100, Bin150, and Bin200. Increasing bin size increased molecular identifier counts and detected-gene complexity while progressively reducing spatial granularity. Bin50, corresponding to 50 &#xd7; 50 DNA nanoballs and an approximate nominal footprint of 25 &#xd7; 25 &#xb5;m, was therefore selected as a practical intermediate aggregation level for the primary analyses. Quality-control assessment, Leiden clustering, UMAP visualization, reference-based cell-type annotation, cluster-marker analysis, and spatial mapping of canonical hepatic genes demonstrated preservation of biologically interpretable liver transcriptional organization. Raw sequencing data processed spatial matrices, annotated objects, and analysis code are publicly available to support reanalysis and computational benchmarking. In summary, we present a Stereo-seq spatial transcriptomic resource generated from liver tissue of an adult Holstein cow. This initial resource provides a valuable foundation for future studies of bovine liver biology, comparative genomics, and the spatial basis of livestock health and production traits.

Animals↗

Causal Relationship Between Ischemic Stroke and Vascular Dementia: A Mendelian Randomization Study.

Ischemic stroke (IS) is a major cause of disability and mortality worldwide, and vascular dementia (VaD) is a common dementia subtype associated with cerebrovascular injury. Observational studies have suggested a relationship between IS and VaD, but these studies are vulnerable to confounding and reverse causality. This protocol describes a reproducible two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) workflow for evaluating the potential causal association between IS and VaD using publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics. Genetic instruments associated with IS were extracted from a public GWAS dataset, and outcome associations for VaD were obtained from a public VaD GWAS dataset. The corresponding dataset IDs are provided in the Protocol section. After outcome matching and allele harmonization, 51 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were retained for the final MR analysis. The workflow includes instrumental variable selection, linkage disequilibrium clumping, allele harmonization, instrument strength assessment, inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis, weighted median analysis, MR-Egger analysis, heterogeneity testing, horizontal pleiotropy assessment, and leave-one-out sensitivity analysis. In the representative analysis, the IVW method showed a positive association between genetically predicted IS and VaD risk, and the weighted median method yielded a directionally concordant result. The MR-Egger estimate was directionally consistent but did not reach statistical significance. Therefore, these findings should be interpreted as suggestive evidence of a possible causal effect, rather than definitive proof of causality. This protocol may help researchers apply a transparent and reproducible MR workflow to investigate cerebrovascular disease-related outcomes using public GWAS data.

Humans↗

Cytokines and Inflammatory Gene Polymorphisms Associated With Nosocomial Pulmonary Infection After Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

Nosocomial pulmonary infection is a frequent complication after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage and may worsen neurological recovery, prolong hospitalization, and increase clinical burden. This retrospective clinical-laboratory study presents a reproducible workflow for evaluating inflammatory biomarker and host immune-genetic profiles associated with nosocomial pulmonary infection after primary spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage. Patients are classified according to whether nosocomial pulmonary infection occurs after admission. Peripheral venous blood is collected in the early post-admission period under standardized pre-analytical conditions. Serum is separated, aliquoted, and stored for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay measurement of IL-1&#x3b2;, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, IFN-&#x3b3;, TNF-&#x3b1;, TLR2, TLR4, and TLR9. In parallel, genomic DNA is extracted from anticoagulated whole blood and used for polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism genotyping of selected cytokine- and Toll-like receptor-related loci. The workflow also includes quality-control procedures for sample handling, duplicate ELISA measurements, DNA purity assessment, genotype calling, and repeat genotyping. Statistical analysis includes between-group comparison of clinical characteristics and biomarker levels, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium testing, logistic regression analysis for genotype and allele associations, adjustment for relevant clinical covariates, and false-discovery-rate correction for multiple genetic comparisons. This combined clinical, inflammatory, and immune-genetic workflow may help characterize infection-risk profiles after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage, although prospective multicenter validation is still required before routine clinical application.

Humans↗

Tools, technologies, and informatics: supporting glycemic control.

OBJECTIVE: To overcome the challenges involved in the adoption and implementation of standards of glycemic control in the inpatient setting. METHODS: Three major barriers to effective glycemic control are examined, and solutions are discussed. RESULTS: The diabetes care process occurs at several levels of the hospital system, including the community level. Each level must be considered when solutions for glycemic control are determined and implementation planned. Workflow coordination is another challenge; it addresses the end users who provide patient care and use information support. Informatics, or the application of information technology to healthcare, can facilitate system-level and workflow integration efforts to improve glycemic control. CONCLUSION: Glycemic control can be achieved through coordinated and facilitated efforts at each level of the hospital system--individual, unit, and hospital-wide. Multidisciplinary team coordination, workflow integration, effective information sharing, and communication are required.

Hospital Information Systems↗

PheBee: A Graph-Aware System for Scalable, Traceable, and Semantic Phenotyping.

OBJECTIVES: Phenotype-driven workflows in clinical and translational research require standardized ontology-based representation, ontology-aware cohort discovery, and provenance inspection for each assertion. Existing approaches optimize either for semantic traversal or scalable batch analytics, but not both. We describe PheBee, a hybrid system that links semantic assertions to scalable evidence storage via a deterministic identifier, preserving provenance while supporting ontology-aware discovery at cohort scale. MATERIALS AND METHODS: PheBee represents phenotype assertions in a knowledge graph as ontology-linked nodes with clinical modifier context (e.g., negated, family history), and stores supporting evidence records in a scalable row-oriented evidence table for cohort-scale access. The two layers are connected by a deterministic identifier enabling stable joins across repeated ingestions without duplicating high-volume evidence in the graph. We evaluated PheBee using synthetic datasets designed to exercise end-to-end ingestion and query workflows. RESULTS: Functional evaluation validated hierarchical term expansion, qualifier-aware retrieval, duplicate-free assertion handling under re-ingestion, and privacy-conscious management of subjects shared across multiple research projects. At scale (10,000 subjects producing 12M evidence records) PheBee completed ingestion in ~30 minutes and responded to interactive queries within 6 seconds under concurrent load. DISCUSSION: PheBee exposes a unified API for ontology-aware cohort discovery with hierarchical term expansion, subject-centric retrieval of phenotypes and clinical modifiers, and evidence and provenance queries. Its data model aligns with GA4GH Phenopackets, facilitating interoperability with phenotype exchange standards. CONCLUSION: By combining ontology-aware semantics with scalable, provenance-bearing evidence storage, PheBee provides a practical open-source foundation for phenotype-driven research workflows that demand both semantic precision and cohort-scale traceability.

cohort studies↗

Modeling and performance analysis of image transfer in PACS.

Performance simulation plays an important role in the design of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS). This paper presents simulation models of a PACS in a context of outpatient clinical workflow. Models, which are discussed focusing on shared facilities are resources of the system, consist of two levels. One is the workflow level and the other is the physical level. Patients medical staffs and images are picked up as the important system resources in the workflow level. A network, hard disks and network interface buffers of PACS components are mainly described in the physical level. Models are described with Petri Nets in both levels. Two examples of performance evaluation are also presented. Both of them estimate transfer time of computed radiology images for outpatient consultation. In the first example, both the data transfer rate of hard disks and network speed are varied under fixed system loads. While in the second example, system loads are varied against given system components. From the simulation results, following points are summarized. If physicians want to get a set of images in 5 seconds, both high performance hard disks or disk arrays and high speed network such as 100 Mbps networks are required. And it is effective for high speed network to be used in the acquisition phase. If we have to use the Ethernet and ordinary workstations, the PACS should be used in a single clinic. In conclusion this modeling method makes models simple and is quite useful for the performance evaluation of PACS in the early design phase.

Ambulatory Care Information Systems↗