Online availability check of teleradiology components.
For a region-wide teleradiology network in Germany a vendor-independent Uptime-server concept was defined. The Uptime-server was realized for the availability check and prospective error-detection of the emergency teleradiology servers and clients based on encrypted digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM)-e-mail transfers. The concept and the experiences of 2 years of use with more than 30 clients and servers in 15 hospitals and in nine other regional partners are shown. The Uptime-server does provide automated availability checks for all servers and clients, automated checks of the download speed of the Internet lines, and a graphical user interface for the clinical user and the system administrator. A clinical user can display the availability information from all clients and servers in the network (see http://www.teleradiologie-rnd.de). In case of malfunctions during an emergency transfer, immediate reactions are possible, often without the need for help of a hotline or a system administrator. The chosen Uptime-server concept proofed to be reliable; it worked with products from nine different manufacturers without problems. Its statistical output can be used to fulfill the legal requirements of regular availability checks for teleradiology lines.
Weisser
Gerald
G
Department of Clinical Radiology, University Hospital Mannheim, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167 Mannheim, Germany. gerald.weisser@rad.ma.uni-heidelberg.de
Ruggiero
Stephan
S
Runa
Alain
A
Düber
Christoph
C
Neff
Wolfgang
W
Walz
Michael
M
D003201:Computers; D034742:Electronic Mail; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D011873:Radiology Information Systems / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019112:Teleradiology; D014584:User-Computer Interface