Development of distributed image database combined with clinical information in hospital information system

We have developed a distributed image database system composed of the data in our medium-scale PACS that provides diagnostic-quality images and the data in our HIS. INFORMIX software was used to construct the distributed relational database. The data in HIS were retrieved using several programs written in COBOL. Image data in PACS were retrieved using ACR-NEMA protocols. The data retrieved from the HIS database involved medication, disease entities, laboratory test results, etc. Therefore, the image data on a given patient can be retrieved by specifying the name of the disease in our database system. Our method offers a practical one to make a global database system to maintain the integrity of the data in the HIS and the PACS. The combination of image data and disease made it quite easy to make a sample database for developing a computer-aided diagnostic system.