USING WWW AND JAVA FOR IMAGE ACCESS AND INTERACTIVE VIEWING IN AN INTEGRATED PACS

We start from the observations that(1) potential benefits from PACS ca n only be realized if PACS and HIS are integrated into a 'multimedia m edical information system', and (2) that this also requires integratio n at the level of the user interface. The user interface should allow integrated interaction with information from different subsystems, of which PACS is one. However, in the real world, different information s ystems are constructed using different technologies. Moreover, radiolo gical image viewing is a highly interactive task that puts a particula r burden on the graphical user interface. We describe our experiences in applying technology emerging around the 'World Wide Web' (WWW) for interactive access to an integrated PACS/HIS. We illustrate tilt: use of Web browsers to access new medical services, touch technologies for interactive access to HIS-PACS information, and emphasize the potenti al of JAVA applets. We argue that JAVA may become an important tool fo r providing highly interactive user interfaces to larger multimedia in formation systems. We discuss Web technology in the general context of HIS/PACS integration.