PERSONAL-COMPUTER TELERADIOLOGY INTERHOSPITAL IMAGE TRANSMISSION TO FACILITATE TERTIARY PEDIATRIC TELEPHONE CONSULTATION AND PATIENT TRANSFER - SOFT-TISSUE LATERAL NECK AND ELBOW RADIOGRAPHS

Although teleradiology systems are available commercially, they are ex pensive ($30,000), and different makes are incompatible with each othe r, making them unusable for interhospital image transfers. Standard co mponents were added to a personal computer (PC) to build a functional teleradiology unit capable of interhospital image transmission at a lo w cost ($600 upgrade). This PC teleradiology system was studied to ass ess its accuracy in the interpretation of soft-tissue lateral neck x-r ays with epiglottitis or retropharyngeal abscesses and elbow x-rays wi th joint effusions, fractures, or both. A radiologist and a pediatric emergency physician were asked to read the PC teleradiology images. Bo th physicians read 13 of 13 soft-tissue lateral neck x-rays and 15 of 15 elbow x-rays correctly. This study supports the premise that PC tel eradiology can be used to facilitate telephone consultation and patien t transfers between tertiary pediatric emergency centers by transmitti ng pertinent radiographic information over a phone line. Although verb al communication can often suffice in a telephone consultation or tran sfer, there are many instances when visualizing a radiographic image s uch as an x-ray or computed tomography scan can provide important info rmation that cannot be optimally described verbally. Rural hospitals c an form interhospital image transmission links with tertiary center re sources. Tertiary centers may elect to organize interhospital image tr ansmission and referral networks with their rural hospital sources.