Rology - HIS Integration

Bridging DICOM and HL7 for Superior Medical Imaging

By: Mohamed Hammam - Medical Liaison at Rology

The integration Rology offers with Health Information Systems (HIS) – an FDA Cleared Feature – between HL7 and DICOM is more than a technical advancement; it’s a game-changer for medical imaging where patient records, clinical data, and imaging studies flow effortlessly between systems, enabling clinicians to make well-informed decisions with unprecedented speed and precision. By harmonizing these standards, healthcare providers can enhance patient outcomes, streamline workflows, and reduce errors.

This integration not only bridges the gap between clinical and imaging data but also paves the way for a future where healthcare is more connected, efficient, and patient-centric. Before explaining how the integration works, you need to know about the Health information systems HIS.

Health information systems (HIS)

A health information system (HIS) is an information system for processing data, information, and knowledge in healthcare environments. It can be defined as an integrated effort to collect, process, report, and use health information and knowledge to influence policy-making, program action, and research. HIS can be described in three layers:

1. Domain Layer: This layer specifies what entities (like customers, products, etc.) exist and what they do. This layer defines entities like patients, doctors, and medical equipment. For instance, a patient can book appointments, a doctor can diagnose illnesses, and an X-ray machine captures images.

2. Logical Tool Layer: This layer outlines the software components and how they work together. It’s like a blueprint showing how different parts of the software interact to perform tasks. For example, appointment scheduling software communicates with patient record software, ensuring that when a patient books an appointment, the doctor’s schedule updates, and a confirmation email is sent.

3. Physical Tool Layer: This layer deals with the actual physical setup, like servers and databases, where the application runs. It’s about the tangible infrastructure supporting the system For instance, patient data is stored on hospital servers, allowing doctors to access medical histories from these secure databases. [1-2].

HL7

Health Level Seven (HL7) is an international set of standards for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information. Developed by Health Level Seven International, HL7 provides a framework to support the management, delivery, and evaluation of health services. It aims to enhance interoperability between healthcare information systems by providing a common data exchange language through prebuilt messages, allowing various healthcare systems to communicate effectively [3-4].

DICOM

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is a global standard for handling, storing, printing, and transmitting information in medical imaging. It includes the definition of file formats and a network communications protocol. DICOM enables the integration of scanners, servers, workstations, printers, and network hardware from multiple manufacturers into radiology systems such as Rology Teleradiology Platform [3-5].

How Does the DICOM/HL7 Integration Work?

Integrating HL7 and DICOM involves creating a seamless interface that allows patient information and medical imaging data to be shared and accessed across different systems. Here’s how it works:

  • Patient Data Management: HL7 messages manage patient demographics, scheduling, and clinical data. When a patient undergoes an imaging procedure, HL7 messages can send relevant patient information to the imaging system.
  • Image Acquisition and Storage: The imaging system, using DICOM standards, captures and stores the medical images. These images are tagged with metadata, including patient information, ensuring they are linked to the correct patient.
  •  Data Exchange and Communication: HL7 messages can trigger imaging procedures and notify other systems when images are available. DICOM files are then stored and made accessible to other healthcare systems.
  • Workflow Coordination: Integrating HL7 and DICOM helps coordinate workflows by ensuring that patient information and imaging data are synchronized. For instance, an HL7 message can schedule an imaging procedure, and once the images are taken, a DICOM message can update the patient’s record in the electronic health record (EHR) system [3-5].

The Integration of HL7 and DICOM is Crucial for Several Reasons:

  • Enhanced Patient Care
  • Operational Efficiency
  • Interoperability
  • Data Accuracy

The integration of HL7 and DICOM represents a significant step forward in the realm of medical imaging and healthcare IT. It not only improves the quality of patient care but also enhances the efficiency and reliability of healthcare services, making it a cornerstone of modern medical practice [1-3].

What Rology Offers?

Rology introduces a groundbreaking, FDA-cleared feature designed to revolutionize radiology department workflows through seamless HIS integration utilizing HL7 and DICOM standards. This integration enables fully automated operational efficiency, enhancing the quality and speed of medical imaging services.

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Key Benefits of Rology/HIS Integration

  • Closing the Loop: Ensures comprehensive data flow across systems, providing a complete and continuous patient record.
  • Automatic Upload of Medical History: Facilitates the streamlined entry and updating of patient records, reducing manual errors and improving accuracy.
  • Faster Turnaround Time (TAT): Significantly reduces diagnostic turnaround times, allowing for quicker clinical decisions and improved patient outcomes.
  • Enhanced Clinician Experience: Provides instant access to DICOM images and detailed reports, supporting timely and informed clinical decisions.
  • Eliminating Unnecessary Imaging: Improves decision-making processes by reducing redundant imaging procedures, saving time and resources while minimizing patient exposure to unnecessary radiation.

Rology’s advanced HIS integration with HL7 and DICOM standards offers a transformative solution for radiology departments, enhancing operational efficiency, patient care, and clinical outcomes.

f your healthcare facility is interested in leveraging Rology’s cutting-edge technology to streamline workflows and improve diagnostic accuracy, we invite you to learn more and get in touch with us. Visit Rology website to explore how we can support your needs and help you achieve excellence in radiological services.

Get Started with Rology

References:

  • Siau, K. (2004). “Informational and computational equivalence in comparing information modeling methods.” Journal of Database Management, 15(2), 73-86.

  • Sommerville, I. (2010). “Software Engineering.” Addison-Wesley.

  • Mildenberger, P. (2021). The Essence of HL7, DICOM, and IHE. In: van Ooijen, P.M.A. (eds) Basic Knowledge of Medical Imaging Informatics. Imaging Informatics for Healthcare Professionals. Springer, Cham.

  • Health Level Seven International.

  • Rology Application Form.

How Radiology Departments and Centers Can Navigate Medical Inflation?

Written By Mahmoud Barakat

Associate CEO

التضخم الطبي

Radiology departments and centers are navigating through the challenging waters of medical inflation, much like a sailing boat in rough seas. With inflation rates at their highest in three decades, every industry is feeling the impact. Patients are struggling with rising costs for everyday purchases (including healthcare), while hospital and diagnostic imaging center executives face escalating expenses and shrinking profit margins.

“We are calling this a perfect storm because it is all coming together at the right time to hit us when we have all this volume, and we are struggling with these capacity challenges, downward reimbursements, and while, inflation is going up,” said Richard Heller, MD, RSNA Board member.

Radiology is often seen as central to healthcare, with advances in technology expanding its role in both diagnosis and therapy. The number of procedures is increasing. A study by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute found that spending on diagnostic imaging rose by 35.9% between 2010 and 2021.

Medical Inflation
A study by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute

According to the study, between 2010 and 2021, nominal spending on medical imaging in the U.S. increased by $17.48 billion. This overall increase consisted of a $10.94 billion (22.5%) increase due to nominal price growth, a $3.60 billion (7.4%) increase due to higher use of medical imaging per capita, a $1.97 billion (4%) increase due to relative changes in use across imaging modalities, a $1.68 billion (3.5%) increase due to demographic changes in the population.

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A study by the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute

Rising Healthcare Costs and Medical Inflation

According to PwC, the cost of treating patients is rising. The healthcare industry is under pressure from high inflation, rising wages, and other costs, compounded by clinical workforce shortages. Health payers are negotiating pricing with hospitals while provider profit margins continue to erode. Health plans are also feeling the squeeze from higher median prices for new drugs as well as increasing prices for existing drugs. Medical inflation often follows a similar but delayed pattern to general inflation. Milliman reports that annual medical inflation tends to be 1.7 percentage points higher than general inflation on average.

Milliman report

Labor Costs and Workforce Shortages

Radiology is particularly impacted by labor costs due to staffing shortages of highly trained and qualified subspecialized radiologists. With fewer radiologists available, centers may need to offer higher salaries, better benefits, and improved working conditions to attract and retain skilled professionals. This competition drives up labor costs, making it more challenging for hospitals and centers to maintain profitability.

Rising Costs of Systems and Supplies

Rising costs for imaging, office, and medical supplies are driven by inflation, severe supply chain disruptions, and elevated expenses for systems like PACS and raw materials. For instance, the cost of paper has seen significant increases.

Addressing the Challenges

Healthcare facilities must minimize internal costs and increase profit margins despite the drastic reduction in the availability of subspecialized radiologists. Rising costs make healthcare systems unsustainable without significant investment to maintain high diagnostic standards and quality, resulting in high costs per report. The growing gap between high demand and supply of subspecialized radiologists exacerbates the problem.

Leveraging Teleradiology Services

Optimizing and automating radiology workflows with Rology’s FDA-cleared teleradiology technology is crucial. Traditional radiology workflows often rely on costly systems (such as PACS and VPNs) and manual processes, leading to bottlenecks and increased labor costs. That’s why teleradiology can step in.

Medical Inflation

Key Strategies:

  • Zero-Setup Costs and Efficient Pricing: Rology offers a zero-setup cost teleradiology platform with a flexible pay-per-report model, helping reduce overall costs.
  • No Need for PACS: Hospitals can operate without the need for expensive Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), reducing capital expenditure.
  • Fast Turnaround Time (TAT): Rology’s fast TAT and high medical accuracy rates help minimize patient no-shows and improve patient satisfaction.
  • Automated Patient Engagement: Rology provides online and instant access to radiology reports and DICOM images, improving patient engagement and reducing no-show rates.
  • Expanding Service Offerings: Offering a broader range of diagnostic services and leveraging Rology’s subspecialized radiologists can attract new patients and generate additional revenue.
  • Quality: Monitoring and reporting quality metrics through the Rology platform (with a 99.89% accuracy rate) helps to demonstrate a commitment to high-quality care.

By improving patient experience, optimizing workflows, and expanding service offerings, radiology departments can navigate the challenges of medical inflation, maintain financial stability, and continue to provide high-quality care.

References: