PD 6542:1994

Foreword
Part I: Method, investigation, conclusions and
          recommendations
1 Introduction
1.1 Scope
1.1.1 Original scope
1.1.2 Reduced scope
1.2 Definitions and acronyms
1.2.1 Definitions
1.2.2 Acronyms
2 Interworking between health care applications
2.1 Message development method
2.1.1 Scope of the problem domain
2.1.2 Communication parties and communication roles
2.1.3 Scenarios
2.1.4 Services
2.1.5 Domain information model (DIM)
2.1.6 General message descriptions (GMDs)
2.2 Mapping to interchange format dependent message
        descriptions
3 Functional requirements for interchange formats
3.1 Support of information structures
3.2 Support of datatypes
3.3 Encoding
3.4 Evolution and backwards compatibility
3.5 Conformance and certification
3.6 Support and availability
4 Investigation method
5 Evaluation criteria
5.1 Scope and evaluation criteria
5.2 Domain dependencies
5.3 Classified evaluation results
5.4 Excluded evaluation criteria
5.5 Description of the evaluation criteria
5.5.1 Supported information structures
5.5.2 Support of datatypes
5.5.3 Encoding
5.5.4 Evolution and backwards compatibility
5.5.5 Conformance
5.5.6 Support and availability
6 Selected interchange formats
6.1 Description of evaluated interchange formats
6.1.1 ASN.1
6.1.2 ASTM E1238/HL 7
6.1.3 EDIFACT
6.1.4 EUCLIDES
6.1.5 ODA
7 Evaluation results and discussion
7.1 Supported information structures
7.2 Supported data types
7.3 Encoding
7.4 Evolution and backwards compatibility
7.5 Conformance
7.6 Support and availability
8 Summary, conclusions and recommendations
8.1 Overview of investigation process
8.2 Assessment of IFs
8.3 Development of IFDMDs
8.4 The need for mapping rules from GMDs to IFDMDs
8.5 Limitation of evaluated IFs
Part II: Examples and supplementary information
9 Example A - Laboratory communication
9.1 Scope of the problem domain
9.2 Communication roles
9.3 Scenarios
9.3.1 Scenario I - GP to laboratory, GP collects
        specimen
9.3.2 Scenario II - Clinical department to laboratory
        in same hospital
9.4 Services
9.5 Domain information model (DIM)
9.5.1 Specification of attributes
9.5.2 Specification of operations
9.6 General message descriptions
9.6.1 GMD for lab request in scenario I
9.6.2 GMD for lab request in scenario II
9.7 Functional requirements for interchange format
10 Example B - Internal medicine transfer folder
10.1 Scope of problem domain
10.2 Communication roles
10.3 Scenarios
10.3.1 Scenario I - Internal medicine unit send folder
        to cardiologist
10.4 Services
10.5 Domain information model
10.5.1 Specification of attributes
10.6 General message descriptions (GMDs)
10.7 Functional requirements for interchange format
11 ASN.1
11.1 Mapping to interchange format dependent message
        descriptions
11.2 Evaluation results
11.2.1 Supported information structures
11.2.2 Supported datatypes
11.2.3 Encoding
11.2.4 Evolution and backwards compatibility
11.2.5 Conformance
11.2.6 Support and availability
12 ASTM
12.1 Mapping and interchange format dependent message
        descriptions
12.1.1 Mapping scheme
12.2 Evaluation results
12.2.1 Supported information structures
12.2.2 Supported datatypes
12.2.3 Encoding
12.2.4 Evolution and backwards compatibility
12.2.5 Conformance
12.2.6 Support and availability
13 EDIFACT
13.1 A general mapping method for EDIFACT
13.1.1 How mapping could be done
13.2 Mapping to interchange format dependent message
        descriptions
13.2.1 The objects
13.2.2 The message
13.3 Evaluation results
13.3.1 Supported information structures
13.3.2 Supported datatypes
13.3.3 Encoding
13.3.4 Evolution and backwards compatibility
13.3.5 Conformance
13.3.6 Support and availability
14 Euclides
14.1 Mapping to interchange format dependent message
        descriptions
14.1.1 Mapping from GMD A-1
14.1.2 Mapping from GMD A-2
14.1.3 Mapping from the combination of GMD A-1 and GMD
        A-2
14.2 Evaluation results
14.2.1 Supported information structures
14.2.2 Supported datatypes
14.2.3 Encoding
14.2.4 Evolution and backwards compatibility
14.2.5 Conformance
14.2.6 Support and availability
15 ODA
15.1 The ODA standard
15.2 Mapping to interchange format dependent message
        descriptions
15.3 Evaluation results
15.3.1 Supported information structures
15.3.2 Supported datatypes
15.3.3 Encoding
15.3.4 Evolution and backwards compatibility
15.3.5 Conformance
15.3.6 Support and availability
Annexes
A Terms of reference
B Project team members
C Bibliography
C.1 Standard publications
C.2 Other publications

Investigates syntaxes for existing interchange formats (IFs) to be used in health care and to define a strategy for selecting IFs. Coverage includes: definitions and acronyms; communication parties and communication roles; support of data types; supported information structures; description of evaluated interchange formats; supported data types.

1.1.1. Original Scope

In the terms of reference for PT 004 the scope of the investigation was the whole of the health care area. The number of suggested evaluation criteria was large. In the .recommended strategy for the project team it is stated \'The interchange formats need to be evaluated against a set of properties. The properties will be selected both from health care and technical requirements including efficiency, richness, complexity, ambiguity, flexibility, cost and practicality\'.

1.1.2. Reduced Scope

Due to resource constrains, PT 004 has reduced the scope of its work. This-has been done in three ways:

1. The domain of health care is reduced to two examples from the laboratory communication domain and the internal medicine domain. This selection is explained in chapter 4.
2. The number and type of evaluation criteria were reduced compared to the suggested properties in the terms of reference. Selection of the evaluation criteria was done based on the established method for message development. A more detailed explanation is given in chapter 5.
3. The number of EFs were reduced from a possible 23 down to 5. The selected formats were ASN.1, ASTM E1238, EDDFACT, EUCUDES and ODA. This selection is explained in chapter 6.