Keith Morrissey, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Yvonne Goff BSC, MSc, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Julie Bellew, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Breda Matthews, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Kate McKenna, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Lisa Morrin, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Damien Duffy, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Peter Smith, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Sharon Flatley, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

NIMIS Implementation Team adopted a “Big Tent” approach with prospective sites where the system was offered to image producing areas if they agreed to adopt the basic NIMIS workflow and supply the necessary resources to facilitate successful implementation. The original design and implementation of the system has extended the boundaries of the solution into other imaging type services such as Cardiology, Vascular US, Obstetrics US, Arthroscopy, and Respiratory Function Laboratories  

In 2007 the Health Service Executive (HSE) in Ireland initiated the National Integrated Medical Imaging (NIMIS) Project. The initial aim of this project was to install a RIS / PACS solution into all publically funded hospitals that currently did not have such systems (34 in total). While NIMIS at its inception was inherently a Radiology system it was not designed to be exclusively so. NIMIS as the acronym suggests was envisaged to be more of a holistic “Medical Imaging” archive rather than limited to a Radiology PACS/RIS. There was a desire to include the capture and storage of Resting ECG data within the system and to this effect an ECG module was procured to integrate with the core PACS/RIS. The system was designed to be XDS compliant and architecturally is XDS enabled

This review will focus on the particular requirements, benefits and challenges that were presented in the implementation of the NIMIS system in these non-radiology image producing areas. The process workflows in many of these areas were not as developed and standardised as within radiology depts. There was a significant learning curve involved for the national implementation team and vendor to gain the detailed understanding of the varied work processes followed in these areas necessary to support the system implementation in these areas. The particular benefits that have accrued to these non-radiology areas becoming part of the system will be presented in particular the resultant improvements in patient care delivery. There were also particular benefits delivered to the various stakeholders who utilise the services offered by these Depts. through their adoption of the NIMIS system. There were very specific lessons learned and functionality limitations encountered.  

The project has delivered on a significant element of the original specification, namely the development of a generic image archive using the radiology solution as the catalyst for such. This has been proven in the utilisation of the archive to store many non-radiology image examinations. At the same time, these areas have had to adopt to a rigorous and structured workflows with interesting consequences a step taken by Radiology many years ago. The NIMIS solution, in just the same as for radiology exams, affords the opportunity to share such exams at a national level where clinically required.  

Morrissey, K, Goff, Y, Bellew, J, Matthews, B, McKenna, K, Morrin, L, Duffy, D, Smith, P, Flatley, S, Incorporating Non Radiology Imaging Services within a National RIS/PACS Solution.  Radiological Society of North America 2014 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, - ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2014/14018494.html