Design of a high-speed, high-resolution teleradiology network.

Abstract

A teleradiology system acquires radiographic images from one location and transmits them to one or more distant sites where they are displayed and/or converted to hard-copy film recordings. The long-term goal of teleradiology research is to show that teleradiology systems can provide diagnostically equivalent results when compared with conventional radiographic film interpretation. If this hypothesis is proven, provision of the following radiology services will be improved: (1) providing for primary interpretation of radiological images for patients in underserved areas as well as in other medical facilities; (2) integration of radiological services for multihospital/clinic health care provider consortiums; (3) improving emergency service and intensive care unit coverage; (4) offering consulting-at-a-distance with subspecialty radiologists; and (5) providing radiologists in the community or in rural areas with immediate access to large academic centers for help in the interpretation of difficult and problematic cases. We are designing a high-speed, high-resolution teleradiology network that will communicate between our level 3 medical center and several outlying medical centers within the metropolitan area. Computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance (MR), and screen-film examinations will be digitized to 2,000 x 2,000 or 4,000 x 4,000 pixels at the remote sites, transmitted to the central referral facility, and sent to a laser film printer, replicating the original film. This film may then be used for primary diagnosis, overreading/consultative purposes, or for emergency department preparation. Inherently digital modality data (eg, MR and CT) can be sent without digitization of the multiformat film if desired.