Teleradiology at a children's hospital: a pilot study

A pilot teleradiology project was conducted between the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children in Camperdown, central Sydney, and Nepean Hospital in Penrith, about 48 km away. Over three months 575 paediatric radiographs were transmitted at full resolution. The results demonstrated that it was possible to transmit paediatric chest images of diagnostic quality in a reliable and secure manner. Mean transmission time per image was 3.26 min using ISDN, which was considered to be acceptable. Costs were calculated in terms of transmission, equipment, maintenance and staff components. The cost per image transmitted would vary from A$80 for 2500 images per year to A$34 for 10,000 images per year. The experience of the pilot study suggested that more widespread introduction of high-quality paediatric telemedicine in Australia would be feasible. Adoption of the technique would have major implications for paediatric health care, including potential improvements in patient management due to quicker diagnosis and earlier intervention, and potential savings through avoiding transfer of some emergency cases.