PCD Testing

Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise

The HIMSS and RSNA commissioned the Electronic Radiology Lab to develop the set of software tools used in the IHE testing process.

The MESA tools are designed for use by participating companies in implementing IHE capabilities in their systems and preparing for Connectathon, the annual weeklong interoperability testing event managed by the ERL. Their purpose is to provide communication partners, test data and test plans to allow organizations to provide a baseline level of testing as they implement the IHE Technical Framework. These tools are made available to participants during the period of an IHE demonstration year and are then released into the public domain at the end of that cycle.

The latest version of the MESA (Medical Enterprise Simulators and Analyzer) Test Tools can be found at [1].

IHE Testing Tools and Integration Projects Link: [2]

Additionally, an Implementation tools and guidance page for IHE in general provide additional options.

Cypress Healthcare Test Tool Collaboration Effort

Cypress is a collaboration effort established to harmonize conformance and interoperability healthcare test tool projects. Cypress's intent is to harmonize, organize, and to extend (where appropriate) the scope of existing tooling efforts. The main goals include:

• determining the collective requirements of testing and certification bodies,
• identifying the available tools, frameworks, and tooling gaps,
• reducing duplication of tool development through an effective collaborative effort,
• providing a single source site to obtain or reference test tools and materials,
• providing a medium for open dialog among stakeholders, and
• establishing a functional model (and to a limited extent develop code) that integrates tooling projects under a unified platform

Cypress is not a formal organization, but a loose collection of organizations committed to the common goal. The group is open to all interested parties. The harmonization effort includes a broad range of standards and certification bodies including but not limited to the suite of HL7 standards, IHE Profiles, HITSP, NHIM, and CCHIT. The founding organizations include the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Integrating the Healthcare Enterprises (IHE), MITRE, Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT), and Canada Health Infoway.

Cypress Link: [3]

PCD Tests

PCD profiles through 2008, and tested in Connectathons through 2009, are based on HL7 v.2.5. Pre-Connectathon testing uses the VA's Message Workbench. These tests are posted on the PCD's ftp site: ftp://ftp.ihe.net/Patient_Care_Devices/Connectathons/.