1. The Connectathon: IHEs Conformance Testing Process Presented by: Mike Nusbaum & Mike Glickman IHE Interoperability Showcase Planning Committee January 16 th, 2007

2. 2 Simplifying Interoperability

3. 3 Objective and Agenda What is the Connectathon?What is the Connectathon? To provide a high-level understanding of the Connectathon processes, and their value within the context of IHETo provide a high-level understanding of the Connectathon processes, and their value within the context of IHE To describe what is currently happening on the Connectathon floorTo describe what is currently happening on the Connectathon floor To prepare you for a tour of the Connectathon floor, immediately following this presentation…To prepare you for a tour of the Connectathon floor, immediately following this presentation…

4. 4 A Phenomenon…

5. 5 Did you know… The first ConnectathonThe first Connectathon –held in 1999 in Chicago –23 vendors, 47 applications tested The 2007 North American Connectathon boasts:The 2007 North American Connectathon boasts: –77 vendors registered (up from 55 in 2006) –Over 150 individual applications being tested –Over 350 engineers working collaboratively to test interoperability –52 integration profiles are being tested, many of which are new in 2007 –1000s of vendor-vendor connections; 10,000s of transactions –Represents many 1000s of hours of effort by sponsors, vendors, staff 51 Vendors applied to promote their success at the 2007 Interoperability Showcase at HIMSS51 Vendors applied to promote their success at the 2007 Interoperability Showcase at HIMSS

6. 6 Timely access to information Easy to integrate products Products with IHE IHE Demonstrations Develop technical specifications Proven Standards Adoption Process Document Use Case Requirements Identify available standards ( e.g. HL7, DICOM, IETF, OASIS) Testing at Connectathons

7. 7 Scenes from Connectathon 2006

8. 8 Conformance Testing enables Adoption

9. 9 Encouraging Vendors to Implement IHE Profiles Connectathon participation is open to all software developers, vendors, open source, providersConnectathon participation is open to all software developers, vendors, open source, providers Interoperability Specification (IHE Profiles) set before users issue call for participation with deadline (applicants have to bid)Interoperability Specification (IHE Profiles) set before users issue call for participation with deadline (applicants have to bid) Vendors that implement IHE profiles assume strategic and marketing advantagesVendors that implement IHE profiles assume strategic and marketing advantages Vendors who pass the IHE Connectathon are given the opportunity to demonstrate IHE capabilities during major conferences (HIMSS, ACC, RSNA, etc.)Vendors who pass the IHE Connectathon are given the opportunity to demonstrate IHE capabilities during major conferences (HIMSS, ACC, RSNA, etc.) Many carrots, but one stick: be absent or failing Many carrots, but one stick: be absent or failing

10. 10 IHE Testing Process Users Sponsors: Project ManagementTeam Vendors Sponsors:Exhibits Develop Testing Tools Implement Profile Actors In-HouseTesting Connectathon Demonstration DeploySystems Testing Results Approves Test Logs IHE Technical Framework (Profiles Specification) Product + Integration Statement

11. 11 What is a Connectathon? Cross-vendor, live, supervised, structured tests All participating vendors products tested together in the same place/timeAll participating vendors products tested together in the same place/time Experts from each vendor available for immediate problem resolution… fixes are done in minutes, not months!!Experts from each vendor available for immediate problem resolution… fixes are done in minutes, not months!! Each vendor tests with multiple trading partners (actual product to product)Each vendor tests with multiple trading partners (actual product to product) Testing of real-world clinical scenarios with IHE Integration ProfilesTesting of real-world clinical scenarios with IHE Integration Profiles

12. 12 Connectathon Testing is based on specifications laid out in the Technical Framework Technical Framework Part 1: Integration Profiles model the business process problem (use case) and its solution. Part 2: Transactions define in how current standards are used to solve the business problem defined in the Integration Profiles. Connectathon: Vendors register to test their product as an actor(s) within an Integration Profile

13. 13 Connectathon: Managed Process Structured testing supervised by Technical Project Management teamStructured testing supervised by Technical Project Management team Real-time dashboard indicating tests in progressReal-time dashboard indicating tests in progress Successful results recorded and available using automated toolsSuccessful results recorded and available using automated tools Successful results published by sponsorsSuccessful results published by sponsors Primary Purpose: foster adoption and quality of standards-based solutions in productsPrimary Purpose: foster adoption and quality of standards-based solutions in products Secondary Purpose: preparation for demonstration eventsSecondary Purpose: preparation for demonstration events

14. 14 Connectathon Results Tool contains Connectathon results from 2001 to present Part of the KUDU project management tool, developed in part by IHE Europe Development underway to build a new PRODUCT REGISTRY. Adds specific vendors product implementations of Integration Profiles

15. 15 Connectathons are global and more than once a year IHE North AmericaIHE North America –January 2006 IHE AsiaIHE Asia –February 2006 IHE EuropeIHE Europe –April 2006 IHE North AmericaIHE North America –October 2006 IHE North AmericaIHE North America –January 2007 IHE AsiaIHE Asia –February 2007 IHE EuropeIHE Europe –April 2007 …..…..

16. 16 MESA Testing Tools Medical Environment Simulators and Analyzers Software and documentation distributed to vendors participating in the testing processSoftware and documentation distributed to vendors participating in the testing process Each test performs functional testing of a single actor, in a specific profile, by simulating remaining actorsEach test performs functional testing of a single actor, in a specific profile, by simulating remaining actors MESA tests must be successfully completed before the ConnectathonMESA tests must be successfully completed before the Connectathon

17. 17 MESA Testing Tools Primary developer: MIR, University of WashingtonPrimary developer: MIR, University of Washington Other contributors:Other contributors: –NIST, US Dept of Commerce: XDS tools –OFFIS, Germany: DICOM Scope –Health Infoway, Canada: XDS-I, PIX/PDQ/HL7v3 –INRIA, France: Lab HL7v2.5 To be replaced by GAZELLE: a new testing tool architected to facilitate distributed testing (Collaborative world-wide development)To be replaced by GAZELLE: a new testing tool architected to facilitate distributed testing (Collaborative world-wide development)

18. 18 Connectathon Scorecard

19. 19 What happens after the Connectathon? Successful results (specific by IHE profile/actor) are published by the sponsors (www.ihe.net/connectahons)Successful results (specific by IHE profile/actor) are published by the sponsors (www.ihe.net/connectahons) Vendors self-certify, by publishing IHE Integration Statements: Precise and explicit public interoperability commitment fro a specific commercial product.Vendors self-certify, by publishing IHE Integration Statements: Precise and explicit public interoperability commitment fro a specific commercial product. Only vendors who are successful are entitled to participate in Interoperability Showcase demonstrations:Only vendors who are successful are entitled to participate in Interoperability Showcase demonstrations: –HIMSS Annual Conference (February 26 th – March 1 st, New Orleans) –ACC Annual Conference (March 24 th – 27 th, New Orleans) –Canada e-Health 2007 Conference (May 27 th – 30 th, Quebec City) –RSNA Annual Conference (November 25 th – 30 th, Chicago) –others…

20. 20 IHE Integration Statement

21. 21 RFPs & Integration Statements Be Brief ?Be Brief ? –The system must support HL7 Be Effective ?Be Effective ? –The system must support the following HL7 V2 messages according to the following 100 pages of specifications Be Both:Be Both: –The system must support IHE Patient Id Cross-reference as a Patient Identifier Source actor Integration StatementIntegration Statement –Version 2.1 of the Enterprise HIS supports IHE Patient Id Cross-referencing as Patient Identifier Source actor Requiring vendors to publish their products IHE Integration Statements provide a very effective pressure point for market-driven interoperability

22. 22 RFP Language (actual example)

23. 23 Connectathon Tour You will be led by docentsYou will be led by docents There will be a number of stopping points, illustrating different aspects of the ConnectathonThere will be a number of stopping points, illustrating different aspects of the Connectathon Staggered departure, in order to minimize disruptionStaggered departure, in order to minimize disruption Feel free to observe and listen, but respect the effort that is underway and refrain from disrupting the engineers at work!Feel free to observe and listen, but respect the effort that is underway and refrain from disrupting the engineers at work!

24. 24 Connectathon Floor Layout