Medical Imaging Study Flags Portable Media Problems

She and her co-authors offer several recommendations. Among them:

• Radiology practices should routinely generate only DICOM- and IHE PDI- compliant media.

• Radiology practices should make it routine to use only IHE PDI-compliant media and to routinely test for compliance. (Testing of newly created media should be performed on a separate computer.)

• It should also be made routine to review burned media to ensure that all the necessary files are present on the disc and, if applicable, to ensure proper compression techniques (if used) were used before sending images home with patients.

The study, the authors note, illustrates the lack of knowledge about compliance

issues for both DICOM and IHE PDI. They warn that lack of compliance can delay delivery of appropriate clinical or surgical care and could potentially have a detrimental effect on patient outcomes: "The consequences of not taking such action are largely felt by patients who must undergo repeat examinations and incur the associated costs (financial and radiation) and who must schedule more appointments and see more providers."