Medical image metadata processing

• US 8,145,503 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2010
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Virtual Radiologic Corporation (Mednax Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Virtual Radiologic Corporation (Mednax Incorporated)
• Inventors: Backhaus, Brent, Backhaus, Lorna, Ebesu, Dean, Gleeson, Tom J., Weinblatt, Deke
• Primary Examiner(s): O'Connor, Gerald J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PAULS, JOHN A
• Application Number:
  US12/856,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 705/2, 705/3, 705/4, 705/37, 707/10, 600/300, 600/437, 364/413.01
• US Class Current: 705/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/20 for the management or administration of healthcare resources or facilities, e.g. managing hospital staff or surgery rooms
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

Enhanced techniques for the extraction and use of metadata from medical images are disclosed herein. Based on the information in the metadata, specific processing may be performed within an image order management system, radiology information system (RIS), or like system involved with healthcare imaging. In one specific embodiment, a radiology read order may be created, pre-populated, and transmitted via a processing system (e.g., a teleradiology image order management system) based on the metadata within the radiology image. For example, this metadata may exist within the header of a DICOM-formatted image data file or a DICOM communication protocol transmission. The processing system may then provide the pre-populated read order back to the source of the medical images for verification and submission. Other processing actions may also occur based on information extracted from the image metadata, such as custom workflows and handling based on an originating facility, or transferring the images to a particular radiologist or location.

Claims

1. A method for processing radiology orders and images using medical image data, comprising:

receiving, at an image order processing server, a series of radiology image data files for a patient electronically, the series of radiology image data files being transmitted from a medical facility with a data transmission via a network, and each of the series of radiology image data files being generated by an imaging modality at the medical facility and containing metadata and radiology image data;

processing at least one of the series of radiology image data files, at the image order processing server, to extract the metadata stored therein;

creating and populating a radiology order, at the image order processing server, based on data provided by one or more data fields within the extracted metadata;

electronically transmitting the radiology order to the medical facility for verification of the radiology order;

receiving the validated radiology order, at the image order processing server, from the medical facility;

identifying, with the image order processing server, one or more assignment parameters selected from the group consisting of;

radiologist work schedules, medical facility preferences for certain radiologists, radiologist contract terms, radiologist compensation metrics, radiologist subspecialty information, radiologist licensing information, radiologist credentialing information, radiologist location information, and historical radiologist performance metrics;

selecting a radiologist with the image order processing server by correlating the validated radiology order with the assignment parameters; and

electronically transmitting the radiology order and the series of radiology image data files from the image order processing server to the selected radiologist.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiologist is further selected by the image order processing server based on one or more indicators within the validated radiology order, the indicators including a patient identifier, a medical facility identifier, sex of the patient, age of the patient, a type of modality used to produce the series of medical images, a final or preliminary read identifier, a type of radiological procedure, a type of medical condition, and a type of scan to which the series of medical images relates.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiologist is further selected by the image order processing server based in part on an identification of the medical facility derived from an identifier of the medical facility within the metadata.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifier of the medical facility within the metadata is further used to verify credentialing of the radiologist with the medical facility, verify licensing of the radiologist with a jurisdiction containing the medical facility, and verify facility preferences relating to the radiologist or the radiology order.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing data values provided within the data transmission to extract the metadata stored therein, wherein the extracted metadata used within the image order processing server includes data values extracted from the data transmission and from the series of radiology image data files.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein processing at least one of the series of radiology image data files comprises processing a first image data file received in the series of radiology image data files to extract the metadata.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of radiology image data files is each provided in the DICOM format, and wherein the metadata stored therein is provided within a DICOM-formatted header of each of the series of radiology image data files.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of radiology image data files is each provided in a format unique to the medical device generating the medical images.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the imaging modality is selected from the group consisting of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and X-ray.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiology image data files are modified by the image order processing system prior to electronic transmission to the radiologist.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the radiology image data files are converted into another image format by the image order processing system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein verification of the radiology order includes receiving one or more changes to the radiology order from a medical professional at the medical facility.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the radiology order and the series of radiology image data files are transmitted to the selected radiologist via an internet connection.

14. A method for processing radiology orders and images using medical image data, comprising:

receiving, at an image order processing server, a series of medical images for a patient electronically, the series of medical images being transmitted from a medical facility via a network, and each of the plurality of medical images containing metadata;

processing one of the series of medical images using the image order processing server to extract the metadata stored therein;

creating and populating a radiology order, at the image order processing server, based on the extracted metadata;

electronically transmitting the radiology order to the medical facility for validation of the radiology order; and

processing the validated radiology order received from the medical facility, by;

identifying one or more radiology order assignment parameters selected from the group consisting of;

radiologist work schedules, medical facility preferences for certain radiologists, radiologist contract terms, radiologist compensation metrics, radiologist subspecialty information, radiologist licensing information, radiologist credentialing information, radiologist location information, and historical radiologist performance metrics; and

selecting, using the image order processing server, a radiologist by correlating the validated radiology order with the radiology order assignment parameters.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

electronically transmitting the validated radiology order and the series of medical images to the selected radiologist.

16. A system for processing radiology orders and images using medical image metadata, comprising:

a network;

an image order processing server connected to the network, the image order processing server configured to;

receive a series of radiology image data files for a patient electronically, the series of radiology image data files being transmitted from a medical facility via a network, and each of the series of radiology image data files being generated by an imaging modality at the medical facility and containing metadata and radiology image data;

process at least one of the series of radiology image data files to extract the metadata stored therein;

create and populate a radiology order based on data provided by one or more data fields within the extracted metadata;

electronically transmit the radiology order to the medical facility for validation of the radiology order;

receive the validated radiology order from the medical facility;

identify one or more assignment parameters selected from the group consisting of;

radiologist work schedules, medical facility preferences for certain radiologists, radiologist contract terms, radiologist compensation metrics, radiologist subspecialty information, radiologist licensing information, radiologist credentialing information, radiologist location information, and historical radiologist performance metrics;

select a radiologist by correlating the validated radiology order with the assignment parameters; and

electronically transmit the radiology order and the series of radiology image data files to the selected radiologist.

17. A method for processing radiology orders and images using medical image data, comprising:

receiving, at a radiology processing server, radiology order data from a medical facility, the radiology order data relating to a radiological examination of a patient, and the radiology order containing medical specifications;

receiving, at the radiology processing server from the medical facility, a series of radiological images within radiology image data produced from the radiological examination;

processing the radiology image data using the radiology processing server to extract metadata stored therein;

correlating, with the radiology processing server, the radiology order with the radiology image data based on the metadata;

identifying, with the image order processing server, one or more assignment parameters selected from the group consisting of;

radiologist work schedules, medical facility preferences for certain radiologists, radiologist contract terms, radiologist compensation metrics, radiologist subspecialty information, radiologist licensing information, radiologist credentialing information, radiologist location information and historical radiologist performance metrics;

selecting, with the radiology processing server, a radiologist from a plurality of radiologists for examination of the series of radiological images by correlating the metadata and the medical specifications within the radiology order data with the assignment parameters; and

transmitting the series of radiology images and the radiology order data from the radiology processing server to the selected radiologist for examination of the series of radiological images according to the medical specifications of the radiology order.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the radiology order is received from the medical facility within an HL7-compliant communication.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the radiology processing server receives the radiology order data from the medical facility prior to receiving the radiology image data from the medical facility.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein selecting a radiologist from a plurality of radiologists includes selecting an eligible radiologist being credentialed with the medical facility and licensed to practice radiology in a jurisdiction of the medical facility, wherein the plurality of radiologists includes ineligible radiologists not credentialed with the medical facility or not licensed to practice radiology in a jurisdiction of the medical facility.

21. A method for processing radiology orders and images using medical image data, comprising:

receiving, at a radiology processing server, a radiology order from a medical facility, the radiology order relating to a radiological examination of a patient;

receiving, at the radiology processing server from the medical facility, a series of medical images produced from the radiological examination;

processing one or more of the series of medical images using the radiology processing server to extract metadata stored therein;

identifying, with the radiology processing server, one or more assignment parameters selected from the group consisting of;

radiologist work schedules, medical facility preferences for certain radiologists, radiologist contract terms, radiologist compensation metrics, radiologist subspecialty information, radiologist licensing information, radiologist credentialing information, radiologist location information and historical radiologist performance metrics; and

selecting a radiologist using the radiology processing server to receive the radiology order based on the metadata and the assignment parameters.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

selecting a radiologist from a plurality of radiologists for examination of the series of medical images based on the metadata and the radiology order; and

transmitting the series of medical images and the radiology order to the radiologist for examination of the medical images according to with the radiology order.

23. A system configured for processing radiology orders and images, comprising:

a network;

a radiology processing server configured for;

receiving radiology order data from a medical facility, the radiology order data relating to a radiological examination of a patient, and the radiology order containing medical specifications;

receiving, from the medical facility, a series of radiological images within radiology image data produced from the radiological examination;

processing the radiology image data to extract metadata stored therein;

identifying one or more assignment parameters selected from the group consisting of;

radiologist work schedules, medical facility preferences for certain radiologists, radiologist contract terms, radiologist compensation metrics, radiologist subspecialty information, radiologist licensing information, radiologist credentialing information, radiologist location information and historical radiologist performance metrics

correlating the radiology order with the radiology image data based on the metadata;

selecting a radiologist from a plurality of radiologists for examination of the series of radiological images by correlating the metadata, the medical specifications within the radiology order data, and the assignment parameters; and

transmitting the series of radiology images and the radiology order data to the selected radiologist for examination of the series of radiological images according to the medical specifications of the radiology order.