Digital Radiology to Improve the Quality of Care in Countries with Limited Resources: A Feasibility Study from Angola

Floriana Zennaro; Joaquim António Oliveira Gomes; Armando Casalino; Magda Lonardi; Meta Starc; Pierpaolo Paoletti; Daniele Gobbo; Chiara Giusto; Tarcisio Not; Marzia Lazzerini

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073939

Digital Radiology to Improve the Quality of Care in Countries with Limited Resources: A Feasibility Study from Angola

Floriana Zennaro, Joaquim António Oliveira Gomes, Armando Casalino, Magda Lonardi, Meta Starc, Pierpaolo Paoletti, Daniele Gobbo, Chiara Giusto, Tarcisio Not, Marzia Lazzerini

IRCCS pediatrico Burlo Garofolo

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Objective:Sub-standard quality in X-ray image acquisition and interpretation is common in low-resource countries, and can ultimately result in higher patient morbidity and mortality. This study aimed at evaluating; 1) feasibility of implementing a digital X-ray device in a second level hospital in Angola; 2) quality of digital X-ray images, when digital radiology was in the hands of local technicians; 3) feasibility of digital teleradiology and its potential impact on case management.Methods:We developed and tested at the Hospital Divina Providencia (HDP) in Luanda, Angola, a digital X-ray device and a telemedicine network to acquire and print digital X-ray images and send them as DICOM files for remote consultation.Results:20,564 digital X-ray images were made at HDP from November 2010 to December 2012, with no major technical problems and no need for on-site supervision. Digital radiology largely improved the number of X-ray images of good and very good quality (100% of images with digital radiology, compared to 15% of screen-film images, p

Original language	English
Article number	e73939
Journal	PLoS One
Volume	8
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073939
Publication status	Published - Sep 25 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
Medicine(all)

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Digital Radiology to Improve the Quality of Care in Countries with Limited Resources : A Feasibility Study from Angola. / Zennaro, Floriana; Oliveira Gomes, Joaquim António; Casalino, Armando; Lonardi, Magda; Starc, Meta; Paoletti, Pierpaolo; Gobbo, Daniele; Giusto, Chiara; Not, Tarcisio ; Lazzerini, Marzia.

In: PLoS One, Vol. 8, No. 9, e73939, 25.09.2013.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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