ABSTRACT
As patients move through the cardiac care process, from initial clinical screening and diagnostic procedures through therapeutic interventional procedures to post-treatment health condition monitoring, a variety of medical records documenting these procedures is generated. These records may include images from echocardiography, intravascular ultrasonography, vascular angiography, and nuclear medicine along with reports of laboratory data and measurements of electrophysiology, cardiac function, and hemodynamics. Traditionally, these images and reports were produced and stored on fi lms or paper, limiting their accessibility and effective use. The redundant procedures that are necessary to ensure against inaccessible records consume professional and fi nancial resources and delay patient care.
