Minimum technical requirements and evaluating effectiveness of teleradiology.

Teleradiology, the electronic transmission of radiological images for the purposes of interpretation and consultation, has successfully entered routine health services. It is, therefore, currently one of the single largest applications of telemedicine. This technology is predicted to play a significant role in improving service access to rural and remote areas. However, teleradiology services are currently characterized by a compromise between expense and quality of digital images. This paper reviews minimum equipment requirements and the technical issues and limits that are experienced when utilizing current teleradiological technology. Categories of service evaluation, including measures of user satisfaction, clinical outcome and financial benefit, are discussed in relation to facilitating a radiology service of the highest quality possible.