Medicineworld.org: Virtual colonoscopy and teleradiology in rural areas
Subscribe To Colon RSS Feed
Computed tomography colonography (CTC) otherwise known as virtual colonoscopy is feasible in remote health centers where optimal colonoscopy is limited, as per a research studyin the recent issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (www.ajronline.org).
The study waccording toformed at Fort Defiance Indian Hospital in Fort Defiance, AZ, and Tuba City Regional Health Care Center in Tuba City, AZ, both of which are rural medical centers serving Native American, mainly Navajo, populations. After brief on-site instruction, including performing a CTC examination on a volunteer to train the CT technologists, both sites began performing CTC. 
"A total of 321 studies were transferred to the University of Arizona Hospital for evaluation, with reports returned via a teleradiology information system. Overall image quality evaluation of stool, fluid and distention revealed that about 92 percent of patients had diagnostic quality examinations with respect to each image quality parameter," said Arnold C. Friedman, MD, main author of the study.
"Optical colonoscopy in a number of rural areas is limited. Availability of CTC permits access to a robust method of colorectal screening for rural patients," said Friedman.
"Our results show that CTC can be introduced with minimal effort to rural undeserved communities, adequately performed locally, and then interpreted remotely. However, important aspects of implementation should include technologist training, referring doctor education, careful attention to image transmission and clearly defined methods of communication with patients and referring providers," he said.
Posted by: Sue Source
Did you know?
Computed tomography colonography (CTC) otherwise known as virtual colonoscopy is feasible in remote health centers where optimal colonoscopy is limited, as per a research studyin the recent issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (www.ajronline.org). The study waccording toformed at Fort Defiance Indian Hospital in Fort Defiance, AZ, and Tuba City Regional Health Care Center in Tuba City, AZ, both of which are rural medical centers serving Native American, mainly Navajo, populations. After brief on-site instruction, including performing a CTC examination on a volunteer to train the CT technologists, both sites began performing CTC.
Medicineworld.org: Virtual colonoscopy and teleradiology in rural areas
Copyright statement
The contents of this web page are protected. Legal action may follow for reproduction of materials without permission.