[August 30, 2000] CISTERN: Clinical Infosystems Interoperability Network. 'CISTERN is a multi-vendor initiative to define & demonstrate XML-based methods for exchanging healthcare data securely between applications using the Internet.' "CISTERN is the Clinical Information Systems Interoperability Network, a neutral forum for HIS vendors, consultants and users to hammer out real-world data exchange standards. CISTERN grew out of the experiences of Killdara and other vendors participating in the HL7 interoperability demonstration at the HIMSS conference in April, 2000. The focus for CISTERN is the CISTERN website and the electronics discussion group http://www.egroups.com/group/cistern. CISTERN participants upload analytic use cases, UML diagrams, DTDs and sample XML documents, for peer review and balloting by CISTERN participants. Participants can also demonstrate 'live' Internet applications implementing CISTERN standards. These applications are lab systems, physician PCs and other clinical systems exchanging patient records securely and electronically."
Model development: "Development of a coherent set of messages from the Information Model requires a process for mapping the structure and content of the Information Model to the syntax of the messages. This was started in IEEE P1157, has been advanced by the work of CEN TC251 and is being adopted by the HL7 committee for development of their future messaging standards. HL7 Version 3.0 will be based upon an explicit object-oriented information model. Killdara's approach is to use an Object Oriented Design complemented by a message profile, which is based on business logic, and use case modeling. Our goal is to provide a balance between specificity and flexibility of messaging with deliverables being: (1) use case model, (2) dynamic definition (sequence diagram, ASN.1 dynamic profile identifier), (3) static definition (message profiles, segment profiles, ASN.1 static profile identifier, and user friendly XML DTDs). In order to accomplish this we have drawn upon the work done by the Andover Working Group (AWG) now the HL7 Conformance SIG, The Specification for Message profile Content V2.1 March 9, 2000, and when needing further clarification the HL7 Standard documentation."
XML World 2000 Presentation. By John Aloysius Ogilvie (President & CTO, Killdara Corporation). Summary: "Hospitals, labs and physician offices currently exchange vast amounts of complex patient information - by fax, phone and courier. It is notoriously difficult and expensive to integrate different healthcare information systems (HIS). XML, PKI and the Internet are seen as the way forward, but there is no accepted set of DTDs for healthcare documents such as admissions, discharge, transfers, lab results and so on. In May 2000, Killdara and other progressive HIS vendors banded together to form CISTERN (Clinical Information Systems iNTERop Network), an ad-hoc industry group. CISTERN is defining simplified XML DTDs for healthcare, and demonstrating inter-vendor compatibility using a live Internet test bed."
References:
Fall 2000 Presentation (XML World 2000) By John Ogilvie. [cache]
DTDs for Admit/Discharge/Transfer November 2000. [cache]
DTDs. Proposed DTDs, Sample ORM [order request message] 001.
Plans for XML DTDs for Common Healthcare Messages. Diagnostic Study Order Message Profile Document. Whitepaper. [cache]
[May 9, 2000] "CISTERN: XML Templates for Clinical Documents. AT TEPR 2000, Killdara announces plans to publish XML DTDs for common healthcare messages." - "Killdara Corporation, an innovative VC-funded vendor applying Internet solutions to healthcare integration, today announced details of the CISTERN initiative. CISTERN is the Clinical Information Systems Interoperability Network, a neutral forum for HIS vendors, consultants and users to hammer out real-world data exchange standards. CISTERN grew out of the experiences of Killdara and other vendors participating in the HL7 interoperability demonstration at the HIMSS conference in April. Killdara has therefore taken a lead this past year in creating these prototype healthcare templates, drawing on existing healthcare standards efforts such as HL7 and the Andover Working Group, and consulting with leading HIS vendors and integrators. Glenn Thomsen, Killdara's VP Strategic Business Development, and coordinator for CISTERN said 'We have taken the work of the HL7 XML and Conformance groups, the work of other integrators active in the field, and our own expertise as Internet systems architects, and merged them to build these templates. We feel they balance rigour and simplicity. This kind of standards-based communication will bring healthcare into the 21st century in terms of electronic document exchange.' Killdara and other vendors will be using these templates as a foundation for commercial healthcare integration projects this summer in an experimental setting. The templates are being submitted all relevant industry bodies for review and adoption. A whitepaper and sample DTD template will be distributed by Killdara at the TEPR 2000 conference in San Francisco, May 9-11, 2000." [Also Killdara version.]
