The mission of the OpenECG project is to promote the consistent use of format and communication standards for computerised ECGs and to pave the way towards developing similar standards for stress ECG, Holter ECG, and real-time monitoring. OpenECG, coordinated by an interdisciplinary, highly motivated consortium, will attract membership from healthcare authorities, cardiologists, integrators, engineers, standardisation bodies, manufacturers, and the public.

Its specific goals with regard to computerised ECG standards are:

• to raise the level of awareness;
• to organize information days, workshops, and a programming contest;
• to consolidate expertise, assist integration and support correct implementations;
• to provide feedback to standardisation bodies;
• to prepare the ground for interoperability in other ECG-related examinations.

At the same time, OpenECG will collaborate with other groups that are working to formulate and implement standards in cardiology. OpenECG plans to bring the SCP-ECG (Standard Communications Protocol for Computer-Assisted Electrocardiography) to life by supporting specific implementations and applications. This ECG Standard is the result of an EU supported project that European, American and Japanese Manufacturers and Users have jointly worked and agreed on (1989-1990). In 1993 it became a European ENV, later positively balloted within AAMI (AAMI EC71), and is currently a new work item proposal to IEC TC/SC 62 WG1 and ISO TC215.

The OpenECG portal will present news, reviews, and success stories. Registered members will have access to a help desk, a mailing list and a collection of tools for handling SCP-ECG data (converters, viewers, etc.). A database containing annotated samples of real SCP-ECG implementations will provide further help in the proper implementation of the SCP-ECG standard by manufacturers and integrators. Finally, analysis has already started for an on-line SCP-ECG certification and conformance testing service that will also be available to members of the OpenECG portal.

The creation of a network that builds on the experience and vision of the early adopters is expected to facilitate the open exchange of high quality computerised ECGs, making lack of interoperability an obscure problem of the past and setting an example for other diagnostic examinations in the domain of cardiology.