Crowe BL, Hailey DM, de Silva M; International Society of Technology Assessment in Health Care. Meeting.

Annu Meet Int Soc Technol Assess Health Care Int Soc Technol Assess Health Care Meet. 1995; 11: Abstract No. 38.

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, Canberra, Australia.

OBJECTIVE. To assess the feasibility, costs and efficacy of establishing a teleradiology link between a major children's hospital and a district hospital facility. METHODS. Tele-linkages were established between a children's hospital in Sydney and a district hospital 50km away, using a Telecom ISDN Microlink service at 128kpbs. X-ray films were digitised at the remote site using a Kodak film scanner and viewed at a work station at the children's hospital after transmission. Data were obtained for the costs of transmission, equipment and staff to derive an average cost per image. Quality of the transmitted images was assessed in comparison with film studies by a senior radiologist. RESULTS. During the three month trial, 575 pediatric X-ray images were transmitted to the children's hospital from the remote site. Estimated cost per image was $83.44, which would be expected to fall to $40.53 with increased use under routine conditions. Components of cost in routine use would include capital 89.8%, data transmission 2.8% and staff (excluding radiologist professional charges) 7.4%. Quality of the transmitted images was considered acceptable for diagnostic purposes on the basis of examination by a senior radiologist and subsequent ROC analysis in comparison with film images. No difficulties were experienced due to equipment failures. CONCLUSIONS. This pilot study established the feasibility of introducing a teleradiology link between the teaching hospital and a remote site. While use of the new technology is more expensive than film examinations, gains arise through timeliness of expert advice and avoidence of transfer of some patients to the main hospital. Use of a teleradiology link should be seen in the context of the level of referral of pediatric cases from the remote site - over 5,700 a year. Some of these will be emergency situations with an estimated cost of transfer per case of 7,000.

Publication Types:

• Meeting Abstracts

Keywords:

• Child
• Clinical Trials as Topic
• Costs and Cost Analysis
• Emergencies
• Evaluation Studies
• Hospitals
• Hospitals, District
• Humans
• Pilot Projects
• Radiographic Image Enhancement
• Referral and Consultation
• Teleradiology
• economics
• methods
• radiography
• hsrmtgs

Other ID:

• HTX/96648774

UI: 102215792

From Meeting Abstracts