Integrating multiple clinical information systems using the Java Message Service framework

This article describes an application for capturing, delivering, andtracking urgent radiology exam results. Urgent exam findings are entered usinga Web form embedded within the Picture archiving and communication system(PACS) display station. The findings are then accessible via soft copy usingthe PACS display stations, hospital information system (HIS) terminals, orwireless-enabled personal digital assistants (PDAs) or via hard copy printoutsthat are generated automatically or on demand. Additionally, quality control isperformed on those findings entered by radiology residents and fellows, theresults of which are used for both performance tracking and educationalactivities. The application was developed using Sun Microsystems' Javaprogramming language. The Java Message Service (JMS) was used to manage thedelivery of findings. JMS provides a robust, flexible framework for exchangingmessages between disparate applications. The application is now used for allurgent exams; completely replacing the original paper-based system. The use ofJMS provides the necessary level of reliability needed by thisapplication