The arrival of high speed digital electronic communication in radiological sciences is gradually changing the method of acquiring, communicating, storing, and viewing diagnostic images. One natural development due to this change is the emergence of the digital radiology department. In the previous study we demonstrated the feasibility of such a development by designing and implementing two clinical multiple digital viewing stations in the Pediatric Radiology Section. During this study related technological problems which had hindered such development were also solved. They were: (1) the conversion of conventional radiographic images into high resolution digital images by using a laser film scanner and a computed radiographic system, (2) development of a digital optical disk storage system for mass image storage, and (3) the installation of a broadband communication system for rapid networking of images. The purpose of this research proposal is to continue this development and to have a complete digital-based operation in the Pediatric Radiology Section in the Radiological Sciences Department within five years. This digital-based operation in the Pediatric Radiology Section includes patient registration, image acquisition, mass storage, network communication, and image viewing. The first two years will be used for the integration of various components into a total digital viewing system and to gain clinical acceptance. The third year will be for clinical trials of the complete digital-based operation. The fourth year will be for phasing out of the film- based operation and extending the digital viewing system capabilities to the pediatric department and to the genitourinary radiology section. The last year will be used for clinical evaluations and planning of the total digital viewing system for the entire department. It is anticipated that this project will become a success because we have met all the technological requirements as well as have considered and studied the psychological implications of a digital review system. The importance of building and evaluating such a digital viewing system as an alternate method for the current film-based operation is obvious since a successful execution of the current project will change the direction of viewing radiological images in the future. These changes will have an important impact on improving health care delivery services.
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