Title: Designing infrastructure to exchange Electronic Medical Records with web services

Authors: Mark Gaynor, Dan Myung, Joseph Restuccia, Steve Moulton

Addresses: Health Management and Policy, Saint Louis University School of Public Health, 3534 Lafayette Avenue, Salus Center, St. Louis, MO, 63104, USA. ' Dimagi Inc., 529 Main Street Suite 606, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA. ' Operations and Technology Management, Boston University School of Management and Boston University School of Public Health, 595 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, 02215, USA. ' School of Medicine, University of Colorado, 13123 East 16th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA

Abstract: This paper discusses how to share medical information between heterogeneous applications via web services. Our design theory is based on a real-options framework, performance analysis and experience building iRevive, a working web-services-enabled pre-hospital documentation application. The trade-offs between efficiency and flexibility are examined in the context of exchanging information based on emerging standards in the healthcare world. These trade-offs are quantified using a real-options approach. We illustrate the importance of uncertainty in deciding the architecture enabling an application to access medical information from Electronic Medical Records (EMRs).

Keywords: web services; EMRs; electronic medical records; data exchange; standards; real options; patient records; medical information; information sharing; pre-hospital documentation; healthcare technology; uncertainty; e-healthcare; electronic healthcare.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2010.032702

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2010 Vol.3 No.3/4, pp.393 - 412

Published online: 13 Apr 2010 *

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