TELERADIOLOGY - RESULTS OF A QUESTIONNAIRE OF GERMAN RADIOLOGISTS

A questionnaire was sent by mail to 4400 radiologists (i.e. to at leas t 1000 radiological institutions). The response rate was about 5%. The results showed that 47% of respondents felt well informed about teler adiology, 49% not enough and 3% not at all. Image and report transfer as well as interfaces to reference databases, educational applications , technical quality surveillance and product support (maintenance) wer e considered to be increasingly important areas. Smaller institutions (1-3 doctors) judged expert consultation as more important than bigger institutions. Standardization, system stability and data security wer e demanded as well as guidelines, for example concerning the linking o f report and image, correct documentation and required image quality. Technically most demands can be fulfilled today but this technology is not yet commonly included in teleradiology systems.