Download PDF
Methods Inf Med 2015; 54(05): 398-405
DOI: 10.3414/ME14-02-0027
Original Articles
Schattauer GmbH

Modeling Interoperable Information Systems with 3LGM² and IHE[*]

S. Stäubert
1   Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology (IMISE), Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
2   Centre for Clinical Trials Leipzig, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
,
M. Schaaf
1   Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology (IMISE), Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
,
F. Jahn
1   Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology (IMISE), Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
,
R. Brandner
3   InterComponentWare AG, Walldorf, Germany
,
A. Winter
1   Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology (IMISE), Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received: 03 February 2015

accepted: 04 September 2015

Publication Date:
22 January 2018 (online)

    Permissions and Reprints

Summary

Background: Strategic planning of information systems (IS) in healthcare requires descriptions of the current and the future IS state. Enterprise architecture planning (EAP) tools like the 3LGM² tool help to build up and to analyze IS models. A model of the planned architecture can be derived from an analysis of current state IS models. Building an inter-operable IS, i. e. an IS consisting of interoperable components, can be considered a relevant strategic information management goal for many IS in healthcare. Integrating the healthcare enterprise (IHE) is an initiative which targets interoperability by using established standards.

Objectives: To link IHE concepts to 3LGM² concepts within the 3LGM² tool. To describe how an information manager can be supported in handling the complex IHE world and planning interoperable IS using 3LGM² models. To describe how developers or maintainers of IHE profiles can be supported by the representation of IHE concepts in 3LGM².

Methods: Conceptualization and concept mapping methods are used to assign IHE concepts such as domains, integration profiles actors and transactions to the concepts of the three-layer graph-based meta-model (3LGM²).

Results: IHE concepts were successfully linked to 3LGM² concepts. An IHE-master-model, i. e. an abstract model for IHE concepts, was modeled with the help of 3LGM² tool. Two IHE domains were modeled in detail (ITI, QRPH). We describe two use cases for the representation of IHE concepts and IHE domains as 3LGM² models. Information managers can use the IHE-master-model as reference model for modeling interoperable IS based on IHE profiles during EAP activities. IHE developers are supported in analyzing consistency of IHE concepts with the help of the IHE-master-model and functions of the 3LGM² tool

Conclusion: The complex relations between IHE concepts can be modeled by using the EAP method 3LGM². 3LGM² tool offers visualization and analysis features which are now available for the IHE-master-model. Thus information managers and IHE developers can use or develop IHE profiles systematically. In order to improve the usability and handling of the IHE-master-model and its usage as a reference model, some further refinements have to be done. Evaluating the use of the IHE-master-model by information managers and IHE developers is subject to further research.

Keywords

Information systems - health information systems - systems integration - enterprise architecture planning - EAP - modeling - integrating the healthcare enterprise - IHE - three-layer graph-based meta-model - 3LGM²

* Supplementary online material published on our website www.methods-online.com