Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare > Volume 14, Number 2 > Pp. 67-70

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kreutzer, J. Articles by Nimsky, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Social Bookmarking                      What's this?

RESEARCH Original article

Teleradiology in neurosurgery: experience in 1024 cases

Juergen Kreutzer , Hiroyoshi Akutsu, Rudolf Fahlbusch, Michael Buchfelder and Christopher Nimsky

Department of Neurosurgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany

Correspondence: Dr J Kreutzer, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054 Erlangen, Germany (Fax: +49 9131 853 4476; Email: kreutzer{at}nch.imed.uni-erlangen.de)

Between June 1995 and June 2000 teleradiology was performed in 1024 neurosurgical cases (945 patients). An analogue image transfer system was used for presentation of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from seven referring hospitals in southern Germany. The system used a 19,200 baud modem connection via the ordinary telephone network. The diagnoses on presentation were intracerebral haematoma (50%), trauma (27%), subarachnoid haemorrhage (4%), stroke (5%) and others (14%). Retrospective analysis showed that in 67% of cases admission and therefore ground-based transportation of the patients to our neurosurgical centre was not necessary for different reasons (moribund status, no surgical intervention required or no neurosurgical problem at all). If each patient had been transferred, then the potential savings for ground transportation were 339.93 per case (with accompanying physician of the affiliated hospital) or 373.96 per case (with accompanying experienced ICU physician), respectively (1 is US$1.4). The total cost of the image transfer system for all eight hospitals was 96,000; this was amortised after 282 teleconsultations, which occurred after 15 months of usage. A simple teleradiology system in neurosurgery enables rapid and reliable telephone consultations, mainly on patients with trauma, stroke and intracerebral haematoma at low cost.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?