Method and structure for electronically transmitting a text document and linked information

1. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium storing instructions to control the operation of a computer to generate an electronically transmittable linked report, the computer program product operable with a computer to perform the steps comprising:

generating a text section; and

generating an endnote section, the endnote section a) being independent of the text section, b) including information for linking portions of text contained in the text section to predetermined link information, and c) comprising at least one endnote, said endnote including character information for identifying the address within the text which is to be linked and view state information, the view state information further including at least a link information address corresponding to the address from which the link information can be retrieved.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein said view information also includes image brightness information, image color information, annotations to an image, image overlay and transformations.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein said view state information includes an external web site address.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein said link information address includes the address within a repository of stored images for a predetermined image.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein said view state information in is extensible mark up language.

6. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein said endnote includes a check sum.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 , wherein said endnote includes a workflow state information portion.

8. A method for creating a linked report which is electronically transmittable through a terminal comprising the steps of:

creating a text for a report;

counting at least the characters within the text to obtain a character address for each character with in the text;

retrieving link information to be displayed along with the text in association with a predetermined portion of the text, the link information including an image;

obtaining view state information for the image, the view state information including at least a link information address corresponding to the address from which the link information can be retrieved;

creating an independent endnote including the character address of the predetermined portion and the link information address; and

attaching the endnote to the report after the text, without adding or deleting characters from the text.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said endnote further includes image brightness information, image color information, image annotations, and image overlay.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein said endnote includes text display modification instructions for modifying the display of the predetermined portion of the text to indicate that characters contained in the predetermined portions are linked.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising the step of providing an end of text marker after the text and attaching the endnote to the report after the end of text marker.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the end of text marker is a signature.

13. A method for creating a report based upon a protocol including the steps of:

creating an endnote having a workflow state portion and encoding the protocol in said workflow state portion;

the endnote including a workflow state indicator, and storing a workflow state in the workflow state indicator;

performing a step in the protocol and changing the workflow state value stored in said workflow state indicator to indicate the performed step has been completed;

modifying the endnote to contain data for identifying a patient to which the protocol is to be performed;

increasing the workflow state value stored in the workflow state indicator;

modify the endnote to include specific protocol steps;

incrementing the workflow state value stored in the workflow state portion to indicate modification of the endnote;

performing the protocol; and

incrementing the workflow state value stored in the workflow state indicator to indicate performance of the protocol.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising the steps of:

creating a link to results of the performed protocol;

incrementing the workflow state value in the workflow state indicator to indicate the creation of the link;

creating a report by modifying the endnote to include link and report address information; and

incrementing the workflow state value in the workflow state indicator.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the report includes text and further comprising the steps of:

creating the text;

counting at least the characters within the text to obtain a character address for each character within the text;

obtaining view state information for said image, the view state information including at least a link information address corresponding to the address from which the results of the performed protocol can be retrieved; and

said endnote including the character address of a predetermined portion of the text and the link information address.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said endnote further includes image brightness information, image color information, image annotations, and image overlay.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein said endnote includes text modification instructions for modifying the display of the predetermined portion of the text to indicate that characters contained in the predetermined portions are linked.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the results of the performed protocol include an image.

19. The method of claim 15 , further comprising the step of providing an end of text marker after the text and attaching the endnote to the report after the end of the text marker.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the end of text marker is a signature.