Interoperability in digital electrocardiography: harmonization of ISO/IEEE x73-PHD and SCP-ECG

IEEE Trans Inf Technol Biomed. 2010 Nov;14(6):1303-17. doi: 10.1109/TITB.2010.2064330. Epub 2010 Aug 9.

Abstract

The ISO/IEEE 11073 (x73) family of standards is a reference frame for medical device interoperability. A draft for an ECG device specialization (ISO/IEEE 11073-10406-d02) has already been presented to the Personal Health Device (PHD) Working Group, and the Standard Communications Protocol for Computer-Assisted ElectroCardioGraphy (SCP-ECG) Standard for short-term diagnostic ECGs (EN1064:2005+A1:2007) has recently been approved as part of the x73 family (ISO 11073-91064:2009). These factors suggest the coordinated use of these two standards in foreseeable telecardiology environments, and hence the need to harmonize them. Such harmonization is the subject of this paper. Thus, a mapping of the mandatory attributes defined in the second draft of the ISO/IEEE 11073-10406-d02 and the minimum SCP-ECG fields is presented, and various other capabilities of the SCP-ECG Standard (such as the messaging part) are also analyzed from an x73-PHD point of view. As a result, this paper addresses and analyzes the implications of some inconsistencies in the coordinated use of these two standards. Finally, a proof-of-concept implementation of the draft x73-PHD ECG device specialization is presented, along with the conversion from x73-PHD to SCP-ECG. This paper, therefore, provides recommendations for future implementations of telecardiology systems that are compliant with both x73-PHD and SCP-ECG.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Electrocardiography / instrumentation*
  • Electrocardiography / standards
  • Equipment Design
  • Humans
  • Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Systems Integration*
  • Telemedicine / instrumentation*
  • Telemedicine / standards
  • Telemetry / instrumentation*
  • Telemetry / standards