Remote sonographic interpretation using a laser printer network: System performance and diagnostic accuracy in actual clinical practice

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of our study was to evaluate the technical and clini cal performance of remote sonographic interpretation using a laser printer network connecting a community-based imaging center and an academic medical center. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. During a 3-month period, 161 consecutive sonographic examinations were performed at a community-based imaging center and all 161 patients were enrolled in the study. Seventy-one (44%) of 161 examinations were interpreted on-site at the community-based imaging center, and 90 (56 %) of 161 were transmitted over a T-1 line to an academic medical center wh ere the static images were interpreted remotely. For the purposes of this s tudy, the examination time was defined as the interval from the time the te chnologist started to scan the patient to the time the patient was dismisse d from the radiology depart ment. Examination times were recorded for each patient. Follow-up was available for 92 (57%) of 161 studies. Sensitivity a nd specificity for studies interpreted at the community based imaging cente r and at the academic medical center were calculated. RESULTS. The mean examination time for pelvic sonographic examinations inte rpreted at the academic medical center (43 min) was significantly longer th an for scans interpreted at the community-based imaging center (31 min) (p < 0.01). However, no significant difference was noted in the examination ti me for abdominal sonography. For all examinations interpreted on-site at th e community-based imaging center for which follow-up was available, the sen sitivity and specificity were 95% and 100%. respectively. For all examinati ons interpreted remotely at the academic medical center for which follow-up was available, the sensitivity and specificity were 93% and 90%. respectiv ely. No significant difference was seen in the sensitivity (p = 1.00) or sp ecificity (p = 0.24) of studies interpreted on-site versus remotely. CONCLUSION. Static sonographic images can be interpreted remotely without l oss of sensitivity, but with decreased specificity. However, more time must be allotted for performing pelvic sonography when these examinations are t o be interpreted remotely.