Micro- and Macrointegration Profiles for Medical Devices and Medical IT Systems

Abstract

Collecting, saving, and providing patient data are essential processes of documentation in a hospital. Many IT systems have evolved to provide solutions in this area. The automatic transfer of medical device data to these information systems is a new challenge for hospital IT systems. Some vendors are focused on the integration of medical IT systems and medical devices. They provide great solutions with magnificent features. Nevertheless, those integration solutions are proprietary and isolated, limiting the operator's selection of his medical devices and medical IT systems. Standardizing communication processes within the operating room and between medical devices and medical IT systems brings benefits for both patient and hospital staff. This work identifies and proposes micro- and macrointegration profiles as a basis for new IHE Integration Profiles for both medical IT systems and medical devices of the operating room.