Simulating Hospital Workflow for Comprehensive Medical Training

background

In order to operate hospital workflows efficiently, it is essential for medical staff to master various medical standards and technologies. Our project aimed to develop a platform that can simulate all hospital workflows, focusing on medical standards such as DICOM, HL7, and FHIR.

assignment:

The challenge was to create an interactive, comprehensive training environment that could accurately replicate the complexities of hospital workflows. The platform had to support a variety of DICOM, HL7, and FHIR workflows to provide a realistic training experience.

Solution:

We have developed a web-based simulation platform with the following features:

DICOM workflow execution:

• C-ECHO: Check network connection to DICOM server
• DICOM MWL (Modality Work List): Access to patient information and scheduled procedures
• C-FIND: Search for DICOM objects on a server
• C-MOVE: Transfer DICOM objects between servers
• C-STORE: Store DICOM images and reports on the server
• View images in a DICOM viewer: View images using the OHIF DICOM viewer
• View/Edit DICOM Tags: Edit metadata in DICOM files

Running an HL7/FHIR workflow:

• HL7 v2 Workflow:
• Viewing and editing HL7 messages
• Sending HL7 messages to other systems
• FHIR Workflow:
• Viewing, editing, and sending FHIR resources
• Query a FHIR server to view older versions of resources

In this solution, we used open source technologies to set up a DICOM server and a FHIR server. Through a web application, users can simulate all workflows and experience the hospital workflow in a single platform.

Technology stack:

• Front-end development: Building dynamic user interfaces using ReactJs
• Backend Development: Use Python and Fast API for high performance server-side operations
• Database: Uses MySQL to store structured data
• DICOM Server: Uses DCM4Chee to manage DICOM images and workflows
• DICOM Viewer: Uses OHIF to view DICOM images within the platform

result:

The platform provided a hands-on training experience, enabling users to:

• Learn and Practice: Gain practical knowledge of DICOM, HL7, and FHIR workflows
• Simulate real-world scenarios: Experience the complexities of hospital workflows in a controlled environment
• Improve skills: Increase proficiency in medical standards and the use of technology

Conclusion:

This project effectively bridged the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application in medical training. By simulating real hospital workflows, it created a valuable tool to train medical professionals in the use of key medical standards and techniques.