Item 6

Objective.

There are several parts for improvement. Here a web-based testing tool should be focussed on. IHE should grant a system to allow “tele-testing” against a standard IHE environment system, that is available throughout the year and gives the possibility to test on a “tele-basis” against more than one other vendor or against a virtual hospital / environment. We as IHE have to take into account that this should not replace the real connect-a-thon, but will enhance the possibilities for the vendors to show up with IHE-proven market-available systems.

The improvement will be that IHE compliant ready-to-market systems will increase for the availability of users.

Analysis.

Actually systems have only the chance to be tested during the connect-a-thon. This will be mostly with prototype systems, that have to be changed to become ready-for-market systems. During this effort, programs have to be changed, and sometimes also application modifications will occur. Those things will cause error-prone tasks, that perhaps will not be seen in normal testing of the final systems. A final systems’ test should be performed with the same tools, that have been applied during the connect-a-thon to guarantee the correct performance of the modified system. Also vendors might use this test tool to improve their systems also during the normal development cycle of their products.

Results.

As result of an installation of a “tele-testing” toolkit would be an increase of tested IHE compliant ready-for-market systems. A second result would be a higher certainty for direct interoperability compliance of those systems in a real world environment. Indirect measurements will be reduced costs for the adaptation of the systems to IHE conformance and a higher contentment of the users, having installed the systems. Stakeholders will be users, users’ associations, management boards of vendors, certification bodies, and authorities. They will see a higher performance of systems tested multiple to be IHE-conformant and a drop of interconnectivity charges.

Roadblocks.

Real roadblocks are not existing. There might occur a resource problem to develop the sytem and to install it. The maintenance might swallow some additional resources, if a supervision by a technical manager has to be available.

Work breakdown: Actions and organization and timing

1. Analysis of the technical needs
2. Selection of the appropriate tools for developing
3. Setting up a precise logging and error-reporting system
4. Testing the toolkit on a real connect-a-thon
5. Parameterise the automated machines of the virtual hospital
6. Testing the “tele-testing”-device in a real environment
7. Developing a marketing strategy for selling the system

We have to consider as IHE-EUR and IHE-intl that the connect-a-thon has still to be used for self-certification (but this might be not necessary in future).

For reasons of competition to other testing environments, IHE should offer such a system within the next 1.5 years (it has to be ready in 2008). Otherwise too many people will offer other – cost intensive – systems, that might be accepted by the certification bodies because of lacking of other – more worthwhile testing tools.

Interference with other items

[2] The definition and handling of the different systems: ready-for-market-products and development prototypes might have an influence on the serenity of testing and certification.

[4] The introduction of testing methods already within the IHE Technical Frameworks might help to establish the testing tools and will perhaps also reduce the need for maintenance of the system, if non-knowledgeable developers are using the system.

[8] Marketing and promotion might be easier for the marketing people, if they can show, that an IHE-testing is always available and performed.

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