Multi-platforms medical computer systems integration

Presently, software architects face the challenge of integrating and linking different application software packages built on different computer platforms. Often they inherit various systems, ranging from mainframe to PDA-based applications. The first stage before programming different interfaces is to identify the means of communications most suitable for particular systems. The experience of the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, which combines a hospital, a healthcare network, a research center and a medical school, illustrates common problems faced by a number of medical institutions. This paper will discuss the various options, including the Internet, software architects have, and how they can use them during the development of an infrastructure for health care systems. © 2005 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.