Clinical trial of remote radiologist services for a military installation.
It is often difficult to provide continuity of professional radiological services at U.S. military facilities located at a distance from major metropolitan areas. To address this problem, we have designed and evaluated a program to send x-ray films from a U.S. Army hospital to a remote site for expert radiological interpretation. Nine hundred and forty-two x-ray studies were sent by U.S. Express Mail from the Radiology Department of a U.S. Army Hospital over a 2-month period. The typed reports were sent back to the hospital through the use of a computer-to-computer telephone link within 72 hours of film transport. No studies were lost and security of all studies was maintained. This program offers a cost-effective, otherwise unavailable means to provide high quality professional radiological services to U.S. military facilities both inside the United States and in foreign countries.
Mendel
J
J
U.S. Radiology Associates, Newton, Massachusetts.
Linares
R
R
Gomori
J
J
Fields
S
S
Yago
M M
MM
D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003199:Computer Systems; D006748:Hospital Departments / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006772:Hospitals, Military / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006779:Hospitals, Public / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D009816:Office Automation; D011871:Radiology; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*