Open ECG: A European project to promote the SCP-ECG standard, a further step towards interoperability in electrocardiography

Integrating the numerous available ECG devices to the citizen´s electronic health record is a major challenge for the users of ECG interoperability standards, since most ECG devices implement protocols and file formats in ways that hinder the open interchange of ECGs and hamper ECG analysis, processing, and serial comparison. The mission of the OpenECG portal is to foster the consistent implementation of interoperability standards in computerized electrocardiography. A help desk and a planned on-line validation and conformance testing service for the SCP-ECG standard assist manufacturers requesting feedback on their implementations. Additionally, tutorials, visualization tools, converters, and annotated ECG samples are expected to provide the framework for the systematic diffusion of standards in the everyday practice and pave the way towards interoperability in all ECG examinations.