History of Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise

Under the leadership of Healthcare Information Management Systems Society and the Radiological Society of North America, Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise began in November 1998 as a collaborative effort to improve the way computer systems in healthcare share critical information. IHE is expanding into new clinical domain areas including Cardiology, laboratory and medication management. IHE includes medical specialists and other care providers, administrators, standards organizations, IT professionals and vendors.

IHE does not create new standards, but rather drives the adoption of standards to address specific clinical needs. IHE Integration Profiles specify precisely how standards are to be used to address specific clinical problems, eliminating ambiguities, reducing configuration and interfacing costs and ensuring a higher level of practical interoperability.

FAQs
ASTRO’s Role in IHE

The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology has formed a multi-society Task Force to undertake an initiative to promote the Integration of the Healthcare Enterprise – Radiation Oncology, fostering seamless connectivity and integration of radiotherapy equipment and the patient health information systems. The task force includes members from ASTRO, RSNA, American Association of Physicists in Medicine, the American College of Radiology, the National Electrical Manufacturers Association and members of the international community.

The IHE-RO Task Force, in close collaboration with radiotherapy product manufacturers, will develop appropriate integration profiles for radiation therapy and setup a demonstration of seamless communication among the full array of radiotherapy products.

Additional information about IHE including information on Workshops and Connectathons may be found by visiting RSNA’s Web site at www.rsna.org/IHE.

A calendar of IHE-related meetings including IHE-RO may be found by visiting www.rsna.org/IHE/calendar.