Enhanced integrated format and content checking for processing of SCP ECG records

Interoperability between medical devices and host systems is a key requirement for establishing an electronic patient health record. A pre-requisite for interoperability is standardization of data formats and messaging protocols. We report on the development of enhanced testing tools for compliance checks of the SCP- ECG interchange format within the specifications of the CEN standard EN 1064. The presented tools are important for development as well as compliance testing of SCP formatted ECG records and they are necessary to promote the interoperability of important non-invasively gathered cardiac information. Cardiac information is more and more integrated into the electronic patient health record and interchanged between various health care providers. We have conducted practical tests in our laboratory and on two public databases of our own and external SCP implementations.