Problems common when viewing medical images from portable media

Issue: January 25, 2011

Radiologists and referring clinicians often experience problems with access, importability and viewing images when using portable media to review patient medical images, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.

Researchers also cited non-compliance with accepted industry digital imaging standards as another drawback to portable media use.

Using a 22-question electronic survey, researchers sampled a stratified, nonrandom group of members from the Association of Administrators in Academic Radiology, the Association for Medical Imaging Management, and the University HealthSystem Consortium. The questions pertained to the production of portable media for image distribution outside of the imaging center or to the review process of imaging data received via portable media from other institutions.

The 102 respondents were divided into academic or non-academic practice groups to determine what, if any, differences existed between them. Most (98%) agreed that their respective institutions produced images compliant with Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM); 2% were unsure. About one-fifth (22.2%) of respondents agreed that their respective institutions were compliant with Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) Portable Data for Imaging (PDI); 71.6% were unsure. Researchers found no difference between the academic and non-academic practice DICOM and IHE PDI compliance rates. Compliance testing for DICOM and IHE PDI was conducted routinely by 16% of respondents’ practices.

The three noted problems with portable media “can delay patient care,” researchers wrote, who also said the consequences of non-compliance “are largely felt by patients who must undergo repeat examinations and incur the associated costs (financial and radiation).”

For more information:

Katia V. J Am Coll Radiol. 2011;8:39-48.