PURPOSE: To design a Web-based network for diagnostic and therapeutic guidance in urology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed an architectural model of a low-cost multimedia Web platform that runs on a collection of distributed collaborative network nodes to provide a set of urologist-oriented Web-enabled services. Any node of the platform was able to share patient-oriented data via automated processes with appropriate authorization, confidentiality, and high-security protocols. The urologist can show the details of the records of patients and additionally enrich the world experience with his or her own cases. Video clips maintained locally at the nodes will be accessible by clinicians in a trouble-free way with MS Windows Media player and a relatively small amount of source code. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The primary advantage of this architectural model is that it provides Web-enabled integrated urologic services while using a distributed storage scheme for urological video files (AVI format) and a global repository of laboratory results using Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Data Grid technologies. In addition, this model provides decision-support services (knowledge from a global database and predefined procedures). The architecture model is based entirely on HTTP, XML, GRID-like environment and DotNet technologies. Finally, the platform provides extensibility and scalability targeted to large-scale Web-enabled global urologic databases.
PURPOSE: To design a Web-based network for diagnostic and therapeutic guidance in urology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed an architectural model of a low-cost multimedia Web platform that runs on a collection of distributed collaborative network nodes to provide a set of urologist-oriented Web-enabled services. Any node of the platform was able to share patient-oriented data via automated processes with appropriate authorization, confidentiality, and high-security protocols. The urologist can show the details of the records of patients and additionally enrich the world experience with his or her own cases. Video clips maintained locally at the nodes will be accessible by clinicians in a trouble-free way with MS Windows Media player and a relatively small amount of source code. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The primary advantage of this architectural model is that it provides Web-enabled integrated urologic services while using a distributed storage scheme for urological video files (AVI format) and a global repository of laboratory results using Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Data Grid technologies. In addition, this model provides decision-support services (knowledge from a global database and predefined procedures). The architecture model is based entirely on HTTP, XML, GRID-like environment and DotNet technologies. Finally, the platform provides extensibility and scalability targeted to large-scale Web-enabled global urologic databases.