Health Imaging & IT - April 2008 - (Page 24)

modaliTy Review By Beth Walsh Efficient multidetector CT workflow requires a good look at who is doing the post-processing and where the data are visualized, says Pedro Diaz, PhD, physicist at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, and assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University. The facility has been using Philips Healthcare’s new 256-slice Brilliance i CT scanner since last fall. “It’s been amazing to see the speed and image quality we’re getting,” he says. “The radiologists are thrilled with the images.” The scanner’s first task was detecting a renal stone, which took 4.2 seconds. With that kind of speed, some workflow changes are in order. immediate interpretation One of the biggest workflow challenges is the interpretation process, particularly in the trauma setting. Since the scanner generates data faster, the trauma and emergency medicine doctors want the radiologists to provide their interpretations faster. “Sometimes it’s a challenge to get that data out to PACS or a workstation,” Diaz says. “The network takes longer [to send the data] than the scanner itself [to do the study].” However, with increasing use of 3D viewing and sagittal and coronal axes, radiologists can go through the body in a more efficient fashion. Since the radiologist is the most expensive piece of an interpretation, “our job is to handle this data in the manner that makes the radiologist the most efficient.” To do so, the technologists who work with Diaz do as much of the data reprocessing as possible. If a tech can perform 80 percent of the processing, then leave a bookmark in the portal, everybody with access to the data can benefit from having that work already done. Thin-client advanced visualization applications really help, he says. “We send all this data to the portal server and then multiple people immediately have access to this data and, more importantly, have access to the processing tools.” Elliot Fishman, MD, director of diagnostic imaging and body CT at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in BaltiHealthimaging.com Multidetector CT Workflow The foR Need Speed Acquisition speed, post-processing automation and ever-increasing applications all combine to make efficient multidetector CT workflow imperative. Training, high-functioning yet easy to use workstations, a plethora of protocols and more help them make the most of the modality. 24 Health Imaging & IT | april 2008 http://Healthimaging.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Health Imaging & IT - April 2008

Health Imaging & IT - April 2008 Contents On the Web The Enterprise News Update Cracking Down: CT Radiation Dose 3D Rendering: Options Galore Thinking Thin-Client Modality Review Ergonomics & Design Special Section: Storage Strategies Imaging Tools Technology Outlook People & Technology Technology Review IT Trends Reader's Resource Stat Sheet

Health Imaging & IT - April 2008

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