Data integration in cardiac surgery health care institution: Experience at G. Pasquinucci Heart Hospital

During the last ten years the hospital information system (HIS) was developed at the Institute of clinical physiology of national research council (IFC-CNR), recently reorganized on clinical side into the ldquoGabriele Monasterio Foundationrdquo (FGM) by joint efforts of CNR, Tuscany Region and Universities. At G.Pasquinucci Heart Hospital (GPH), currently FGMpsilas section in Massa, the HIS was adapted and extended to Cardiac Surgery and Pediatric Cardiology. Data archiving and middleware integration through HIS network, connecting GPH with head institution in Pisa, allowed to achieve full secure access to patient information from any workstation within hospital or outside. PACS was developed using Open Source DICOM utilities. Electronic Medical Record is daily used since 2005 on both inpatients and outpatients. Recently telediagnosis was set up between Balkan countries and GPH in Massa.