Title
Managing repeat digital radiography images-a systematic approach and improvement.
Abstract
Repeat analysis is an important issue for improving image quality in the field of radiology. However, the required data for repeat analysis is not easy to collect, and the accuracy of the analysis results remains controversial. The main purpose of this study is to introduce a systematic approach and, with the assistance of information technology, to improve the accuracy of data collection methods and repeat analysis in a fully digital environment. Another purpose of the study was to reduce the human resources required to maintain image quality on a daily basis. The main participant in this study is the radiology department of a medical center in Taiwan. The hospital had previously implemented a Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS), which was seamlessly integrated with Radiology Information Systems (RIS) and Hospital Information Systems (HIS). A comprehensive mechanism was built for repeat analysis. The analysis was primarily achieved through comparing the difference between the amount of accumulated digital radiography (DR) images and uploaded PACS images with data mining tools. Initially, the radiologic technologists seemed to be resistant to the new quality assurance mechanism, which introduce inaccuracy into the collected data. However, after introducing the improved standard operating procedures with the proposed approach for radiologic technologists, the number of DR images generated became optimal for comparison with the number of PACS images, which made this mechanism feasible. Furthermore, information was collected regarding the reasons for repeat images and was used for improving image quality. The results revealed that the new mechanism was both effective and accurate in the analysis of repeat images.
Year
DOI
Venue
2012
10.1007/s10916-011-9744-8
J. Medical Systems
Keywords
Field
DocType
image quality,pacs.quality assurance.digital radiography. data mining.repeat analysis,repeat image,repeat digital radiography images,new quality assurance mechanism,repeat analysis,analysis result,comprehensive mechanism,systematic approach,data collection method,new mechanism,radiologic technologist,data mining tool,pacs,data mining,quality assurance
Information system,Data mining,Data collection,Information technology,Picture archiving and communication system,Upload,Image quality,Medicine,Digital radiography,Quality assurance
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
36
4
0148-5598
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
4
0.59
3
Authors
6
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Wen-Sheng Tzeng1271.51
Kuang-Ming Kuo2827.89
Chung-Feng Liu3533.92
Huan-Chung Yao440.59
Chin-Yu Chen5345.22
Huang-Wei Lin6101.09