A Filmless Radiology Teaching Conference System for Pertinent Displaying and Image Searching

Abstract

To solve the problems of image displays in filmless radiology conferences for the purpose of teaching, we made an experimental design of a conference system with dual 50-in. plasma monitors for displaying larger images and a shared folder containing shortcuts to images for quick display during conferences on the desktop of each client computer in a picture archival and communication system. The image quality of the monitors was evaluated using the TG18-QC test pattern. The display time of images was measured in 20 cases when the shared folder was used and when it was not. Monitor screen size and image quality, operability, display time of images, and overall impression given by the system were evaluated subjectively by five radiologists. Although the image quality of the monitor was not as high as that of the high-resolution monitors used for diagnostic radiology, its performance was good enough for teaching. The average display time using the shared folder (2.6 +/- 0.39 s) was significantly shorter than without it (16.9 +/- 5.04 s; p = 2.85 x 10(-6)). Despite the need for certain improvements in monitor size and in the operability of the system, the radiologists considered the system suitable for radiology teaching conferences. We believe that this system is useful for institutions that intend to introduce a filmless system for filmless radiology teaching conferences.