A XML-based remote EMI sharing system conformable to Dicom

At present, EECP medical information (EMI) is stored and distributed in different formats. With the development of EHR and telemedicine, there is a need to make the EMI interchangeable and sharable out of the scope of EECP medical centers (EMCs) and accessible conveniently through common Web browser. Such a model should be platform-/system- and application-independent, flexible and open to each member of the EECP community. This article describes a minimum but complete set of information for the presentation of EMI based on XML. A hierarchical data tree structure is proposed to describe the EMI from the whole spectrum of EECP process along with necessary associated information. In order to be conformable to Dicom, a majority of information follows the specifications of Dicom. It may not only increase the readability and exchangeability of EMI, but also make our system compatible with PACS and HIS. Furthermore, the storage of EMI in XML database and the work of integration of general purpose standardized web technologies are also introduced to show the applications of XML-based EMI in telemedicine and integration of global EMCs.