Measurement
and Standards Issues in Telemedicine
The
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
in cooperation with the National Library of Medicine
will host a workshop on Dec. 7, 2005, to explore
the need for improved measurement technologies and
standards for telemedicine imaging systems.
Telemedicine—the
use of computers and information networks to allow
health-care workers to interview and examine patients,
and view test results and diagnostic images at a
distance—is a rapidly developing field. It
can greatly expand the scope and quality of health
care for patients in rural locations, maximize the
effectiveness of health-care professionals, and
help hold down health-care costs.
As
the capabilities and use of telemedicine have grown,
however, a number of potential standards issues
have arisen that could hamper its broader use. Interoperability
of telemedicine equipment from different vendors,
for example, is an issue if telemedicine services
need to cross organizational boundaries. Accurate
transmittal and rendering of images—including
color fidelity and preservation of detail—are
issues in fields as diverse as radiology, dermatology,
neurology and even psychology.
The
Dec. 7 workshop on Imaging Metrology for Telemedicine
at The Natcher Center (National Institutes of Health,
Bethesda, Md.) will bring together telemedicine
practitioners, researchers and equipment suppliers
to discuss the need for standards, protocols and
test methods to assure that telemedicine images
are accurate from acquisition to possible data compression,
transmittal, storage and display. The workshop also
will consider the need to develop an industry-based
standards structure to assure that telemedicine
systems are interoperable.
The
workshop is one of a series on the U.S. Measurement
System (USMS) sponsored by NIST to assess and document
the nation's priority measurement and measurement-related
standards needs for technological innovation, U.S.
industrial competitiveness, safety and security,
and quality of life. Registration information is
available at www.nist.gov/public_affairs/confpage/051207.htm.
Media
Contact:
Michael
Baum, michael.baum@nist.gov,
(301) 975-2763
Quick
Links
Updated
Fire Modeling Software Released
The
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
released in September an updated version of a popular
computer program that fire investigators, safety
officials, engineers, architects and builders can
use to simulate the impact of past or potential
fires and smoke in a specific building environment.
The
version of the software, called Consolidated Model
of Fire and Smoke Transport (CFAST), until now a
DOS program, works with Windows 98, NT, 2000 and
XP. It also features easier-to-use software that
allows users to simulate multiple fires and ventilation
systems in a building.
The
CFAST Version 6 package includes NIST’s Smokeview
program, which visualizes with colored, three-dimensional
animations the results of the CFAST simulation of
a specific fire’s temperatures, various gas
concentrations, and growth and movement of smoke
layers across multiroom structures.
CFAST
Version 6 and supporting documentation can be downloaded
free at http://cfast.nist.gov.
Get
On Board as a Baldrige Examiner
Each year, the National Institute of Standards and
Technology (NIST) recruits the best minds from business,
education, health care and non-profit organizations
to serve as members of the board of examiners for
the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the
nation’s highest honor for quality and performance
excellence.
Examiners
volunteer their time and expertise to evaluate applications
for the award, go on site visits, and prepare feedback
reports to applicants citing strengths and opportunities
for improvement. The board consists of more than
500 members, including nine judges and about 60
senior examiners, representing many industries,
companies and organizations including those from
non-profit and public sectors.
Serving
on the board provides an opportunity to refine analytical
and consensus-building skills, network with some
of the nation’s foremost experts from a wide
range of organizations, and improve America’s
competitive position. Amy Friedman, a surgeon at
Yale University School of Medicine and a senior
examiner, says, “Being a Baldrige examiner
has ... helped me develop constructive, mature approaches
to organizational improvements, innovations, and
institutional challenges. Each year of training,
application review, and teamwork has been a greater
learning experience than the last.”
Further
information, including an application to be an examiner,
is available at http://baldrige.nist.gov/Examiner_Application.htm
or by calling (301) 975-2036. Applications are due
by Jan. 8, 2006.
