USE OF COMPUTER CONFERENCING TO ALLOW VIEW BOX-STYLE TEACHING SESSIONS WITH RESIDENTS AT OUTLYING HOSPITALS

Rationale and Objectives. Health care reform is placing new pressures on radiology faculty members to use their time more efficiently. We im plemented a computer conferencing technique that allows one faculty me mber to perform a simultaneous view box-style teaching session with re sidents at local and outlying hospitals. Methods. The system simultane ously displays digital images on computer screens at the local and out lying hospitals; an on-screen pen allows the instructor or the partici pants to point to findings on the images. Audio is provided either by a telephone conference call using speakerphones or over the wide-area network using microphones and speakers built into the computers. Resul ts. The technique has been in use for 1 year. A survey of the faculty and residents indicate that computer conferencing is equivalent to tra ditional face-to-face teaching sessions at the view box. Conclusion. C omputer conferencing is possible and accepted. The technique is low-co st, using generic computers that are part of the picture archiving and communication system at both hospitals, and relatively inexpensive co nferencing software.