System And Method For Customizing Workflow Using Standard Formats For Information Transfer

Abstract

Embodiments of the present system and method relate generally to standardized electronic communications in a healthcare setting. Certain embodiments of the system include a healthcare information acquisition and management system capable of using information that conforms to an industry standard format for information transfer, an order scheduling system capable of managing information flow within the healthcare setting, and a gateway system interconnecting the healthcare information acquisition and management system and the order scheduling system. In certain embodiments, the gateway system provides for a transfer of nonconforming information between the order scheduling system and the healthcare information acquisition and management system.

1 . A method for providing for information transfer among information systems in a healthcare setting, the method comprising:
 transforming at least part of a query from a healthcare information acquisition and management system provided in a first format into a second format;   transforming at least part of a set of information from an order scheduling system arranged in the first format or a third format into the second format; and   filling the query from the healthcare information acquisition and management system with the set of information from an order scheduling system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising capturing data native to the information systems of the healthcare setting into the second format. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the data native to the information systems of the healthcare setting comprises the network address of a device on the information system. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the first format is an industry standard format. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the industry standard format is DICOM. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising configuring site-specific information into the second format. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the order scheduling system is selected from the group consisting of a Radiology Information System (RIS), a Hospital Information System (HIS), a Clinical Information System (CIS), and a Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS). 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the healthcare information acquisition and management system is an imaging modality. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the imaging modality is selected from the group consisting of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound imaging, and X-ray imaging. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the at least part of a set of information from an order scheduling system is in the first format. 
     
     
         11 . A computer readable storage medium including a set of instructions for a computer, the set of instructions comprising:
 a mapping routine for transforming from a first format a query from a healthcare information acquisition and management system into a second format;   a coding routine for transforming data from the first format or a third format from an order scheduling system into the second format; and   a query-filling routine for matching data from the order scheduling system with the query from the healthcare information acquisition and management system, wherein the query filling routine uses the second format to accomplish the matching.   
     
     
         12 . The set of instructions of  claim 11  wherein the query or the data further comprise a client communication entity parameter. 
     
     
         13 . A method for providing for information transfer among information systems in a healthcare setting, the method comprising:
 transforming at least part of a query from a healthcare information acquisition and management system provided in a first format into a second format;   transforming at least part of a set of information from a clinical information system arranged in the first format or a third format into the second format; and   filling the query from the healthcare information acquisition and management system with the set of information from the clinical information system.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising capturing data native to the information systems of the healthcare setting into the second format. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the data native to the information systems of the healthcare setting comprises the network address of a device on the information system. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the first format is an industry standard format. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the industry standard format is DICOM. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13  further comprising configuring site-specific information into the second format. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the healthcare information acquisition and management system is an imaging modality. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the at least part of a set of information from a clinical information system is in the first format. 
     
     
         21 . A system for providing for information transfer among information systems in a healthcare setting, the system comprising:
 a healthcare information acquisition and management system that transmits a query conforming to a first format for information transfer;   a clinical information system that transmits a set of clinical information in the first format for information transfer or a third format for information transfer; and   a gateway system that:
 transforms at least a part of the query from the healthcare information acquisition and management system from the first format for information transfer into a second format for information transfer; 
 transforms at least part of the set of clinical information from the clinical information system from the first format for information transfer or third format for information transfer into the second format for information transfer, and 
 fills the query from the healthcare information acquisition and management system with the set of clinical information from the clinical information system. 
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the first format is an industry standard format. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the industry standard format is DICOM. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the healthcare information acquisition and management system is an imaging modality. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the at least part of a set of information from a clinical information system is in the first format.