[Digital X-ray: interhospital data transfer by CD-ROM. Prospective data evaluation during the import process].
BACKGROUND
Increasing numbers of radiological imaging diagnostics are archived in digital form. In addition to the results of diagnostics performed in hospital a growing number of patients present with digital results of outpatient radiological investigations. These digitized images represent a challenge for the internal hospital work flow. The aim of the study was to determine the expenditure for the hospital when dealing with digital outpatient diagnostic results.


METHODS
Several parameters were observed and analyzed within the import process of nearly 400 CD-ROMs over a time period of 5 months. Only a negligible number of data on CD-ROMs could not be transferred into the hospital archive (1.5%). The duration of the process depended on the amount of data and the time period.


RESULTS
During regular hours the import process took on average 13 min per CD and 19 min per patient while the time increased significantly during on-call duties. This study demonstrates the significance of the import of digital outpatient radiological diagnostic results into the hospital archive which can in particular influence patient treatment.
Klinik für Unfallchirurgie und Orthopädie, BG Unfallklinik Ludwigshafen, Ludwig-Guttmannstraße 13, 67071, Ludwigshafen, Deutschland, svetter@bgu-ludwigshafen.de.
S
S
Vetter
C
C
Hitzigrath
C
C
Wölfl
M
M
Hutter
P-A
PA
Grützner
C B
CB
Frank
D016251:CD-ROM / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005858:Germany; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D011873:Radiology Information Systems / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057188:Workflow; D016526:Workload / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*