Development of an IHE MRRT-compliant open-source web-based reporting platform

Eur Radiol. 2017 Jan;27(1):424-430. doi: 10.1007/s00330-016-4344-0. Epub 2016 Apr 30.

Abstract

Objectives: To develop a platform that uses structured reporting templates according to the IHE Management of Radiology Report Templates (MRRT) profile, and to implement this platform into clinical routine.

Methods: The reporting platform uses standard web technologies (HTML / JavaScript and PHP / MySQL) only. Several freely available external libraries were used to simplify the programming. The platform runs on a standard web server, connects with the radiology information system (RIS) and PACS, and is easily accessible via a standard web browser.

Results: A prototype platform that allows structured reporting to be easily incorporated into the clinical routine was developed and successfully tested. To date, 797 reports were generated using IHE MRRT-compliant templates (many of them downloaded from the RSNA's radreport.org website). Reports are stored in a MySQL database and are easily accessible for further analyses.

Conclusion: Development of an IHE MRRT-compliant platform for structured reporting is feasible using only standard web technologies. All source code will be made available upon request under a free license, and the participation of other institutions in further development is welcome.

Key points: • A platform for structured reporting using IHE MRRT-compliant templates is presented. • Incorporating structured reporting into clinical routine is feasible. • Full source code will be provided upon request under a free license.

Keywords: Database; Medical informatics; Radiology; Reference standards; Technology.

MeSH terms

  • Humans
  • Internet*
  • Radiology Information Systems*