ZeBWis Project

A system implementing the archiving and communication of digital medical image data from ZeBWis screening.

The handling of analogous medical image data, like X-ray-, CT- or MRT-images can prove very complex. According to the German Regulation on X-Rays, image data has to be archived for at least 10 years, which can consume large quantities of storage room. Furthermore, there are many people involved in the process, like originator, radiologist and diagnostic reader, making the communication of the images quite costly.

Because of this, there is an increasing usage of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) in the medical area, which handle the archival and communication of medical image data, using networks or data carriers. Currently, the German Staturory Accident Insurance (DGUV) plans to establish a PACS to handle their digital image data stock.

 

Since the beginning of the 90's, the Wismut Central Care Unit of the DGUV offers preventive examinations to former miners of the Wismut SDAG, which, due to hazardous labouring conditions, have an increased risk to suffer from labouring diseases, like pneumoconiosis or lung cancer. These examinations include the creation of x-ray images of the thorax.

First, the patient is examined by an occupational physican, which refers him to a radiologist for the creation of the image. The image must be evaluated according to the ILO Lung Disease Classification, which describes the severity of a possible pneumoconiosis. In case of a digital image, the evaluation has to be done by a second physician (diagnostic reader), since the occupational physician normally does not have the necessary evaluation monitors. The findings are transferred back to the DGUV paper-based via mail.

 

The distribution and archival of analogous image data, as well as the paper-based communication of the findings is cost-intensive and time-consuming. The goal of this project therefore is the conception of a workflow for the distribution and archival of digital image data and the electronic communication of the findings. In the first phase, a PACS and the appropriate communication paths between the involved parties will be established. For this, a prototype consisting of free and self developed components will be established, which serves the purpose of evaluating the planned workflow mechanisms. In the second phase, occupational physicians and diagnostic readers shall have the possibility to electronically transfer their findings via a web frontend.