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IW2nd Technical Functional Areas
Technical Functional Area 1 – Business Technology
 Electronic Document Management
Administrative Correspondence Workflow
Technical Functional Area 2 – Medical Sciences
Electronic Image Applications
Medical Image Analysis
Technology Functional Area 3 – Geographic Information Systems (GIS)/Scientific Technology
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Scientific Imaging Applications
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Technical Functional Area 1-
Business Technology |
| The NIH requirements for document conversion and electronic storage address the need to archive large quantities of legacy data while maintaining search, retrieval, and printing capabilities. This data exists as textual documents, graphics, and photographs involving first line correspondence, courtesy correspondence, policies, reports, manuals, and historical files. Due to different filing requirements, this data may be stored in duplicate. It currently exists on paper, microfiche, or microfilm media. |
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NIH Electronic Document Management (EDM) requirements address the overall cataloging, archiving, and controlling of information. These activities address processes such as age monitoring for timely deletion of selected materials included on dated business forms, reports, letters, policy statements, contracts, agreements, etc. Many EDM requirements are driven by regulatory requirements (archiving audits, protocols, adverse drug reaction reports, etc.). These requirements may necessitate automated or manual indexing, such as full text retrieval using an optical character reader (OCR). These requirements may be addressed by manual indexing of key fields, providing descriptive data bases for imaged documents, and providing content based retrieval through OCR/ICR (Image Character Reader) of the full text. Management of hard copy documents may be included using manual identification schemes such as bar coding. The control information shall
be electronic so it may be shared by a broad group of users, easily integrating with automated workflow systems. Legal requirements sometimes dictate that hard copy of documents must be kept for certain periods. Security requirements sometimes dictate that access control be utilized for electronic document storage.
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Typical NIH business processes, such as the review of grant applications consist of the flow and processing of information. Automated workflow systems are needed to monitor and guide workflow processing based on a predetermined set of rules. The process monitoring must provide a clear picture of the state of the workflow. The rule sets must be easily programmable to enable control and easy implementation of change as needed. A variety of workflow systems ranging from low-end workgroup imaging solutions, through mid-range solutions (40 – 60 seats) to high end, high volume solutions (100 plus seats).
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Technical Functional Area 2 -
Medical Sciences |
| Technology functional area image processing within the clinical, biological, and radiological arenas is needed at the NIH and other federal agencies to address document management, workflow, and security recognition system requirements. |
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These disciplines need electronic image applications which are particular to the type of work being performed. These applications support diagnosis and therapy decision systems, which have historically depended on hard copy or spatially oriented information such as X-ray films and microscope diagnostic histology images. Other government agencies find imaging applications critical in the larger requirement of fulfilling their mission for the welfare of the Nation. Bringing the power of modern computational systems to these processes and activities, just as with hard copy text documents, requires conversion of this spatial information to electronic form. The information content of these documents is much richer, however, and the corresponding imaging applications may be significantly more complex.
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Medical image analysis may require recognition of slight differences in shading, a much more stringent imaging requirement than optical character recognition. Additional applications also exist which have no corresponding analogue with document imaging, such as 3D visualization or remote high resolution image transfer requirements associated with telemedicine.
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Technical Functional Area 3 -
Geographic Information Systems /
Scientific Technology |
The NIH is acutely aware that most problems facing the world and health today – environmental, economic, political, social – exist in a geographic context and any analysis must consider that. Understanding issues ranging from epidemiology to access to healthcare providers requires understanding the geographic context of these issues. |
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GIS provides powerful tools for geographic analysis for almost any health discipline. GIS technology is one of the fastest growth technologies in health today, helping professionals in the ever more complex health industry manage their information to make better decisions. The research and planning functions are important elements of the well-run health and health service organization. GIS integrates key data components based on geographic elements to help achieve precise analysis and powerful presentations. Some of the more popular uses of GIS technology are:
- Epidemiology outbreak investigation
and disease tracking.
- Site and facility inspections
- Program evaluation
- Spatial data visualization
- Site location and patient distribution analysis
- Community needs assessments and service demand analysis
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Imaging requirements for scientific applications shall also be addressed in this technology functional area. These scientific applications may vary greatly as a function of the federal entity engaged in the work efforts. Innovative solutions are anticipated and expected. Small business firms with limited or single product offerings are encouraged to respond.
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