Digital Radiology: A Decade of Clinical Experience

The world's first entirely digital radiology system was planned in 1988 and implemented in 1992 in the Danube Hospital of the Socio Medical Care Centre East in Vienna, Austria. An overview is provided of a decade's experience in digital radiology, and of the various considerations in implementing such a system. This experience has proven that the principal advantage of digital radiology is reliable and rapid access to all relevant medical information. This saves time, speeds up report turnaround, and results in better diagnosis, since the timeliness of delivery of the diagnostic outcome is as important as its accuracy. The last decade has shown that digital radiology is an excellent working clinical tool for improving healthcare delivery. Furthermore, it has the potential to become even more useful, as the focus shifts from simply saving film to increasing institutional productivity and efficiency.