Computerizing patient records and storing radiology images electronically can provide an efficient way to view and preserve these crucial elements of information that are essential for a radiologist to make a diagnosis.
Although the majority of radiology departments across the country aren’t yet computerized, the trend seems to be moving that way. Technology is able to transform radiology practices, with benefits for everyone — the patient, the radiologist, and staff members. The benefits are numerous, from instant access of records by the radiologist, to less space needed to store records, to more efficient practice management and organization.
From whence they came
Managed care provided a force behind computerizing patient records to provide cost-effectiveness as well as instant access to records by many healthcare providers. Computerization has come gradually to healthcare, and it will be years before all healthcare facilities, including imaging centers, can provide instant access to patient records. Image-enabled computerized patient records (CPRs) are an exciting development that is delivering a high impact on radiology today.
Many believe that the key to successfully pushing clinical images from radiology to healthcare providers came in the development of Java technology in 1996. “There’s been a great need to automate medical processes. It has taken 15 to 20 years to develop computerized medical records,” says Gregory Lewis, M.D., a radiologist at Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, Wash., and the founder and CEO of MedOrder, Inc., Seattle. “There’s only about 5 percent of institutions in the U.S. that have computerized patient records. Everyone is struggling to fit together pieces of the puzzle that encompass privacy, protocol and encryption.”
Advantages abound
There are many advantages of merging electronic patient records with anatomical and functional images. Efficiency, time, storage space, organization and reliability are all advantages recognized by radiologists, staff and patients.
“The whole issue of computerization is one that should be geared to helping the busy doctor,” says Ned Sternick, Ph.D., a Boston, Mass.-based consultant to the healthcare industry. “Paper-based records are not always available when needed.
By putting this information in an electronic format, you provide immediate access.” Productivity is another key aspect to consider. “Radiation oncology is suffering from a dramatic shortfall [in productivity], and diagnostic radiology is also,” continues Sternick.
“Technology is increasing, and the supply of specialists is decreasing, so there is a need to increase productivity,” Sternick says. “The elimination of paper-based medical records, which is very frustrating, and the acquisition of cost-effective records [such as computerized ones] is vital [to radiology].”
Radiologists, staff members and patients all benefit from computerization.
“The computerization of radiology is a logical extension of the computerized medical record,” explains Tom Kemp, chief information officer at New York Hospital Medical Center of Queens, Flushing, N.Y. “Additional benefits are the reduction in ‘lost’ films, lower radiation exposure, faster transfer of images to other locations, improved security of patient information and the ability to electronically enhance the image.”
The ability to view images and records together on a screen is not only efficient, but also can provide a more complete record of the patient’s overall condition.
“Various kinds of images can be integrated with text. You can bring together the image and report and other relevant data, like lab data and other physician orders for radiology or other procedures, to give a more comprehensive picture of what’s going on with the patient,” says Steve Flammini, director of applications development at Partners Healthcare in Boston.
Storage of paper files and film can be alleviated by computerizing the records and images. Computerizing patient records also may provide better compliance with federal and healthcare data storage requirements. Searching for records and images also becomes much easier at the touch of a button.
“We don’t have to create a film [of the image] 70 to 80 percent of the time, so there’s little handling of the film and storage needs are greatly reduced,” says Terry Keys, administrative director of imaging at Foote Hospital in Jackson, Mich. “We have three different places where we store film. We do more than 150,000 exams a year. With PACS [picture archiving and communications system], all are stored digitally, probably in one-tenth or one-fifth of the space. We don’t have to worry about not getting the film back from physician’s offices or other facilities.”
Please refer to the February 2001 issue for the complete story. For information on article reprints, contact Martin St. Denis
