Biomedical imaging and the evolution of medical informatics
Smadar Shiffman, Edward Hance Shortliffe · Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics · 1996
this article we examine the formation of ties between biomedical imaging systems and clinical information systems in light of the cited necessity to enhance information sharing. Radiology can benefit from attracting individuals with a medical informatics background, just as informatics can benefit by attracting individuals with special expertise in imaging and image management. The potential for linkages between systems that manage images and those that deal with other patient information has been recognized since at least the early 1970s. For example, one early radiology system, developed by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, included functions for patient-examination scheduling and for film-library management. The system later evolved to include on-line reporting capabilities and links to a surgical-pathology accessioning system for automated access to confirmed pathologic diagnosis [2]. Developers of early radiology systems encountered several tasks that pertained to management of clinical data, independent of data type. Research issues included design of user interfaces, development of methods that supported structured data entry while attempting to avoid overly constrained linguistic expression, and construction of semiautomated tools for indexing and retrieving information. The traditional importance of images to clinical fields as diverse as dermatology, pathology, gastroenterology, surgery, and radiology assured that image management was destined to play a central role in clinical information systems design and construction once the storage and communications technologies to support such data types had matured. Thus, in recent years, the use of computersupported image data has become widespread in a variety of hospital departments. Such data are also...