by
Brendon Nafziger, DOTmed News Associate Editor | April 19, 2011
A hospital-to-hospital image transfer network or universal medical records enriched with imaging data might be the best way to cut down on unneeded imaging exams for patients transferred between institutions. But researchers argue that the next best thing might be the humble CD.
According to new projections, importing diagnostic images from CD-ROMs bundled with patients switched between hospital emergency departments could eliminate half a million unnecessary CT procedures every year.
A study published in the July edition of Radiology found that patients transferred between emergency departments whose images were imported into a picture archiving and communication system by the receiving hospital had a 17 percent decrease in imaging over the next day.
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Scaling up the results to the estimated 2.2 million patients transferred between U.S. emergency rooms each year, the researchers speculate that successfully importing images off CDs could reduce CT use by 484,000 scans annually.
"Because there is no central repository for medical images or a large-scale system to transfer images electronically between hospitals, a CD with diagnostic imaging is among the most critical components in the hand-off of clinical information for patients transferred between hospitals," said lead researcher Dr. Aaron Sodickson, interim director of emergency radiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Mass., in a statement.
In the study, the researchers examined the medical records of 1,487 patients with CDs containing medical images transferred to Brigham and Women's ER from another hospital between February and August 2009. They then compared the imaging rates over the next 24 hours for the 1,161 patients (78 percent) whose images were importable, against the 326 (22 percent) whose CDs malfunctioned or contained incompatible imaging formats.
The researchers found that patients whose CDs worked had lower imaging rates. They had 17 percent less imaging overall, with 2.7 versus 3.3 exams per patient, and 16 percent fewer CT scans, with 1.2 versus 1.4 per patient.
Brigham and Women's set up its CD-import policies three years ago, according to the hospital. According to the policies, receiving doctors must place a CD import order and deliver the CD to the ER radiology staff, who then import the contents into the PACS system.
Leonard Tambasco
Other ways to share images
April 19, 2011 04:42
You talk about CD's as a way to share digital images which is a start but your study doesn't talk about a personal health records (PHR) service that can also store and share these same images along with other medical information of the patient. Online services are secure and easy to access. Educate the consumer of the importance of sharing all their medical information and the cost savings it can offer. Health care costs are rising and each person needs to help control these costs so teach them to use of a PHR and you may reduce the unnecessary scans and other tests by 484,000 plus each year.
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