Implementing a full-feature PACS solution in accordance with the IHE technical framework: the CHILI approach

During the last 4 years, Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) has worked in establishing a reliable integrated environment for medical imaging devices and other clinical information systems by using existing industry standards such as Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) and Health Level Seven (HL7). Because IHE is organized and driven by professional organizations representing both buyers and vendors, it was able to define a common language for the various health care parties who are involved in the integration process. Thus IHE offers a rigorously organized technical framework that provides a comprehensive guide for a coordinated implementation of information standards.

A multistage plan for incorporating the IHE elements while scaling up general-purpose workstations with teleradiology functionalities to a full-feature picture archiving and communication system (PACS) solution was created. To introduce a pragmatic example, the plan approach was applied to the CHILI workstations (CHILI, Heidelberg, Germany). To implement the proposed plan in making various legacy systems comply with IHE, the effects of available resources and market needs on the plan are discussed. Most implementation challenges and problems were overcome using generic design approaches and well-designed DICOM utilities.

On completion of the first stage, the PACS viewer and reporting workstations were IHE-compliant. In addition, the plan facilitates the conformance process while maintaining the planned software development cycle.

Based on these positive results and the practical experience acquired during the first stage, further stages will be completed to provide the system with the required plug-and-play interoperability among systems from different vendors.