{"title":"Quality functions for requirements engineering in system development methods.","authors":"M Johansson, T Timpka","doi":"10.3109/14639239608995015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3109/14639239608995015","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Based on a grounded theory framework, this paper analyses the quality characteristics for methods to be used for requirements engineering in the development of medical decision support systems (MDSS). The results from a Quality Function Deployment (QFD) used to rank functions connected to user value and a focus group study were presented to a validation focus group. The focus group studies take advantage of a group process to collect data for further analyses. The results describe factors considered by the participants as important in the development of methods for requirements engineering in health care. Based on the findings, the content which, according to the user a MDSS method should support is established.</p>","PeriodicalId":76132,"journal":{"name":"Medical informatics = Medecine et informatique","volume":"21 2","pages":"133-45"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3109/14639239608995015","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19911734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Computer aided test selection (CATS) for nuclear medicine--a prototype system for renal investigations.","authors":"A S Houston, W B Tindale","doi":"10.3109/14639239608995016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3109/14639239608995016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>An expert system for renal test selection in nuclear medicine has been developed as the first stage of a collaborative project on test selection in nuclear medicine. The stages of knowledge elicitation and knowledge representation were addressed by means of a questionnaire which was completed by five experts in the field of renal nuclear medicine. A flow chart was developed from the responses and implemented using a commercially available expert system shell (Crystal 4.5). A menu specifying clinical problems, for which renal nuclear medicine is useful, is displayed to the user who is prompted for a choice. Specific aspects of the chosen problem are then shown and again a choice is requested. Selected tests, in order of expert preference, are displayed and further information on any of these is available, if required, on selection from a menu subdivided into categories such as patient preparation, preliminary investigations, etc. The system provides cross-referencing to other areas of investigation and is currently being evaluated using a structured approach commonly employed in the assessment of user interfaces.</p>","PeriodicalId":76132,"journal":{"name":"Medical informatics = Medecine et informatique","volume":"21 2","pages":"147-53"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3109/14639239608995016","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19911571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M Souto, J Correa, P G Tahoces, F Carrascal, A Méndez, M J Lado, J M Carreira, J J Vidal
{"title":"A limited PACS dedicated to a research environment. Nine years' experience in Santiago de Compostela.","authors":"M Souto, J Correa, P G Tahoces, F Carrascal, A Méndez, M J Lado, J M Carreira, J J Vidal","doi":"10.3109/14639239608995014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3109/14639239608995014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A digital image network has been installed at the Department of Radiology of the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, to create a \"limited' Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). This experience is being dedicated to address problems associated with digital techniques in a research environment. The backbone of the system is a multiprotocol ethernet network. Attached to the network are a number of advanced devices such as DEC VAX and UNIX workstations. Currently, a high resolution film digitizer and a laser printer are under evaluation for radiologic image research. During a period of nine years, 1987 to 1995, experimental and clinical trials have been conducted on different film based digital radiography apparatus primarily dedicated to chest and breast imaging. Several research projects have been completed. In this paper we describe the results of these investigations and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this digital technique. The results of the different completed studies will be presented separately. A description of the physical characteristics of the limited PACS system dedicated to a research environment will serve as background.</p>","PeriodicalId":76132,"journal":{"name":"Medical informatics = Medecine et informatique","volume":"21 2","pages":"123-32"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3109/14639239608995014","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19911732","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A Perris, K Pateras, D Rizopoulos, C Skourlas, T Maris
{"title":"A CD-ROM prototype of a multimedia-based interactive tool and guide, to perform quality control tests for the computed tomography scanners.","authors":"A Perris, K Pateras, D Rizopoulos, C Skourlas, T Maris","doi":"10.3109/14639239608995018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3109/14639239608995018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Quality control tests for CT scanners are very important for correct machine performance, and for the radiation protection of patients and medical personnel. As proliferation of CT scanners continues, the need for distributable software tools to perform quality control tests becomes evident. A multimedia tool and guide will help medical physicists and technologists to perform these tests easily and correctly. The guide can be easily accessible in CD-ROM, or networked on the Internet. The user, medical physicist or technologist, can find in the present guide the pertinent theoretical information and the procedures necessary to perform the quality control tests, with the help of texts, CT images and photographs, narration and video. The results of the tests are automatically compared with machine specifications and acceptable values set by international bodies, and are stored in a table.</p>","PeriodicalId":76132,"journal":{"name":"Medical informatics = Medecine et informatique","volume":"21 2","pages":"169-76"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3109/14639239608995018","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19911576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S M Furnell, P N Gaunt, R F Holben, P W Sanders, C T Stockel, M J Warren
{"title":"Assessing staff attitudes towards information security in a European healthcare establishment.","authors":"S M Furnell, P N Gaunt, R F Holben, P W Sanders, C T Stockel, M J Warren","doi":"10.3109/14639239608995012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3109/14639239608995012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Information security is now recognized as an important consideration in modern healthcare establishments (HCEs), with a variety of guidelines and standards currently available to enable the environments to be properly protected. However, financial and operational constraints often exist which influence the practicality of these recommendations. This paper establishes that the staff culture of the organization is of particular importance in determining the level and types of security that will be accepted. This culture will be based upon staff awareness of and attitudes towards security and it is, therefore, important to have a clear idea of what these attitudes are. To this end, two surveys have been conducted within a reference environment to establish the attitudes of general users and technical staff, allowing the results to be fed back to HCE management to enable security policy to be appropriately defined. These results indicated that, although the establishment had participated in a European healthcare security initiative, staff attitudes and awareness were still weak in some areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":76132,"journal":{"name":"Medical informatics = Medecine et informatique","volume":"21 2","pages":"105-12"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3109/14639239608995012","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19911730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Irreversible encryption method by generation of polynomials.","authors":"C Quantin, H Bouzelat, L Dusserre","doi":"10.3109/14639239608995013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3109/14639239608995013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Patient follow up, within the framework of epidemiological studies, poses the problem of linking nominal files. An encryption method of identity is proposed to allow the linkage of medical information on the same patient while respecting the confidentiality of medical data. In contrast with most encryption algorithms, the proposed method is mathematically irreversible in response to the requirement of the French National Commission of Computerized Information Security which demands that the cryptosystem must not be decipherable even by the legitimate recipient. In order to prevent deciphering by frequency analysis, the proposed method introduces polynomial operations so that neither indication concerning the length of the string nor a possible repetition of characters can be obtained by code disclosure. The security of the system is reinforced by the use of two keys, the first one to be defined by the producers of information and the second one by the recipient so that nobody can decrypt the enciphered text.</p>","PeriodicalId":76132,"journal":{"name":"Medical informatics = Medecine et informatique","volume":"21 2","pages":"113-21"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3109/14639239608995013","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19911731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A front end authorization mechanism for hospital information systems.","authors":"G Vassilacopoulos, D Peppes","doi":"10.3109/14639239608995011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3109/14639239608995011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Authorization is an important functionality that every hospital information system (HIS) should provide. An authorization mechanism permits information to be accessed only by properly authorized users. Authorization models and mechanisms have been widely investigated within the framework of HISs. However, their implementation into existing systems, that do not any longer meet increased authorization requirements, requires a major redesign effort. This paper describes a front end authorization mechanism that has been developed in an attempt to enhance the security features of an existing HIS without extensive modifications to the system structure.</p>","PeriodicalId":76132,"journal":{"name":"Medical informatics = Medecine et informatique","volume":"21 2","pages":"93-103"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3109/14639239608995011","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19911729","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Decision support for insulin regime prescription based on a neural-network approach.","authors":"B V Ambrosiadou, G Gogou, N Maglaveras, C Pappas","doi":"10.3109/14639239609009008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3109/14639239609009008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Insulin regime prescription is performed by medical personnel based on a number of patient related factors such as age, activity, type of current medication, desirable control, whether the patient belongs to a special category, for example whether he has fever or has undergone surgery, etc. No general rules apply so that each expert adopts his/her own rules for insulin regime specification based on his/her experience, intuition and expertise. This is why there is very little in medical literature concerning this issue. This paper describes a system supporting the decision making of medical personnel with respect to the specification of insulin regimes, based on a neural network methodology. In particular, an adaptive version of the backpropagation algorithm is used for the system training. This algorithm dramatically reduces training time and guarantees the monotonically decreasing nature of the error function. The training set consisted of one hundred and eight training vectors. The system offers support with respect to diabetes management by insulin regime prescription. The choice of the factors participating in the decision making of the system described in this paper, is based on an extensive interviewing of a number of diabetologists in leading diabetological centres in Greece.</p>","PeriodicalId":76132,"journal":{"name":"Medical informatics = Medecine et informatique","volume":"21 1","pages":"23-34"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3109/14639239609009008","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19838187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Using CommonKADS to create a conceptual model of a guideline system for breast cancer prognosis.","authors":"R Sacile, C Ruggiero, R Dieng","doi":"10.3109/14639239609009010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3109/14639239609009010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One of the major aspects in breast cancer research is the identification of prognostic factors accurate enough to define different therapeutic decisions; each prognostic factor on its own is insufficient for the prediction of the biological behaviour of the tumour, but a combination of these parameters is necessary. The work described here focuses on the definition of a conceptual knowledge model of the prognosis of breast cancer. Our approach to the conceptualization of the problem follows the CommonKADS (Knowledge Acquisition and Design Structuring) Library for Expertise Modelling. The aim of this work is to provide a first conceptualization of breast cancer prognosis while evaluating the efficacy of the CommonKADS methodology in facing the problem.</p>","PeriodicalId":76132,"journal":{"name":"Medical informatics = Medecine et informatique","volume":"21 1","pages":"45-59"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3109/14639239609009010","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19838189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Theoretical considerations on medical concept representation.","authors":"G Surján, L Balkányi","doi":"10.3109/14639239609009011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3109/14639239609009011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Concepts are seen as building elements of more compositional information objects in medicine. Consequently, representation of medical concepts plays a critical role in any information system. The authors present some of the key problems which need solution, such as definition of medical domain, analysis of internal structure, different subsets of medical concepts, and the problem of the 'elementary' concepts. As a result of these considerations we can conclude that the domain of medical concepts can hardly be delimited and consists of different subsets. These subsets need different representation methods according to their different nature. Some of these subsets have a hierarchic structure. In those one can find sometimes multiple hierarchies. We suggest avoiding multiple hierarchies in concept systems by the introduction of new dimensions.</p>","PeriodicalId":76132,"journal":{"name":"Medical informatics = Medecine et informatique","volume":"21 1","pages":"61-8"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1996-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.3109/14639239609009011","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"19838190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}