Integrating PACS and HIS in a nuclear cardiology department

Image storage and retrieval make medical image departments unique in terms of information systems. The PACS concept was developed as a solution for integrating medical image systems. On the other hand, hospital information systems (HIS) were oriented towards text-based data. Today many hospitals suffer from the lack of integration between both systems. In the authors' institution this question was addressed a few years ago and the authors have decided to develop a fresh HIS with PACS embedded capabilities. To approach this problem, a small-scale prototype is under implementation at InCor's Nuclear Cardiology Department. Here, the authors highlight the importance of using open systems and conceptual modeling to make PACS and HIS integration not only feasible but also rewarding.<>