201801 Apps for Imaging Research
Apps for Imaging Research
Submitting WG/Project/Implementer Group
Justification
Image Share is a network created to enable radiologists to share medical images with patients using personal health record (PHR) accounts. RSNA Image Share gives patients control over their medical images and radiology reports. It lets them maintain their personal imaging history online and securely share information with care providers. This extension is based on the NIH Sync 4 Science program and is designed to allow research apps to search for and retrieve radiology images from clinical systems to support research. The approach uses a combination of FHIR resources and DICOM web services with SMART on FHIR authorization to first search for (FHIR resources) and then retrieve (DICOM web services) radiology images.
Proposed Track Lead
- Chris Carr (RSNA): ccarr@rsna.org
- Steve Moore: moores@mir.wustl.edu -- skype id = stephenmmoore
Expected participants
This track would exercise systems in the following roles:
- Research apps that will use FHIR and DICOM web services to retrieve images
- EHR systems that will support retrieval of clinical data using the NIH Sync for Science program
- DICOM web services enabled (QIDO-RS, WADO-RS) Picture, Archive and Communication Systems (PACS) that can supply imaging data.
- Existing PACS who have not yet implemented DICOM web services
Roles
The NIH Sync for Science program is described here: Sync for Science. This program defines communication between a Research App and an EHR that use SMART on FHIR for authorization. The RSNA and NIH have expanded this to include imaging data with details listed below for each role.
Research App
The Research App will be expected to:
- Implement the API defined here to retrieve clinical data: S4S API calls
- Implement the API defined here to retrieve imaging data: Research App S4S Imaging Requirements
SMART on FHIR Enabled EHR
The EHR will be expected to:
- Implement the API defined here to retrieve clinical data: S4S API Calls
- Communicate with a Token Introspection Service to allow a broker system (FHIR Broker) to request authorization for image retrieval. Specifications are here: EHR S4S Imaging Requirements
- (Optional) Directly support the FHIR ImagingStudy resource to support image search
- (Optional) Support DICOM QIDO-RS and WADO-RS queries that will be passed through to a PACS. Detailed specifications are here: EHR S4S Imaging Requirements
S4S FHIR Broker
The FHIR Broker is designed to serve as a delegate for an EHR that supports the Sync for Science API but does not implement the imaging extensions. The FHIR Broker is required to:
- Accept requests from a Research Application for image retrieval as defined here: FHIR Broker S4S Imaging Requirements
- Communicate with a Token Introspection Service to determine if the Research Application is authorized to retrieve images for the specific patient (same document as above)
- Use DICOM QIDO-RS and DICOM WADO-RS to query for and retrieve images from a PACS or DICOM-RS broker (same document as above)
S4S Token Introspection Service
The Token Introspection Service is intended to assist a FHIR Broker application that wants to use SMART on FHIR to authorize access to imaging studies. The FHIR Broker itself does not know how to issue OAuth bearer tokens (by design) and wants to use tokens issued by an EHR that does understand and implement SMART on FHIR. The Token Introspection Service provides an API to a FHIR Broker to allow the broker to determine if the token that the broker has is legal and permits the research application to have access to imaging data for a specific patient.
The Token Introspection Service has these requirements:
- Implement the API defined here: Token Introspection Service S4S Imaging Requirements
PACS
A PACS can participate in the S4S implementation by supporting the DICOM Web services (QIDO-RS, WADO-RS) or the traditional C-FIND and C-MOVE commands. In this FHIR Connectathon, we would only recruit PACS that implement the DICOM Web services. The PACS does not implement any direct FHIR resources. It does have these requirements:
- Implement DICOM QIDO-RS. Allow inbound requests from an EHR or FHIR Broker without further security.
- Implement DICOM WADO-RS. Allow inbound requests from an EHR or FHIR Broker without further security.
Scenarios
Scenario Step 1 Name
- Action:
- Precondition:
- Success Criteria:
- Bonus point:
