O uso da telerradiologia num serviço hospitalar

Dissertação de mest., Imagiologia Médica, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade do Algarve, 2007The purpose of this study has consisted in the analysis of the impact of Digital Technology and Teleradiology in the assistance capacity of the Imagiology Department of Hospital Padre Américo – Vale do Sousa, in the first 4 years of activity. We analysed statistically the clinical and material data of how the Department works and we assessed the results obtained from the inquiry done to the Medical and Technician staff, concerning the importance of Digital Technology and Teleradiology. In the period that we analysed, we observed that the increased use of Computerized Tomographies matched the needs of the Outpatient, Inpatient and Emergency Department. The average time of patient’s internment was reduced and the hospital transference index from the Emergency Department was greatly reduced in 2004 and in 2005. If we compare it with the Conventional System, we verify that the costs of the Digital System were due to the buying, maintenance and updating of adequate equipment, while operating costs with personal and materials were lower in percentage, if compared with the costs of assistance statistics. Most of the professionals acknowledged the advantages of the Digital System and most of them have adjusted well to the new technology and expressed themselves favourably towards Teleradiology. We can conclude that the implementation of the Digital System in the Imagiology Department lead to an improvement in its services and that Teleradiology was also an advantage (in spite of its costs), allowing the interpretation of the Neuroradiology exams and the permanent reading of the Computerized Tomographies outside the normal hospital schedule