APEX Radiology
A Virtual Radiologist on Staff
Once the PDF file is posted to the web, the referring physician is emailed a username and password to access and view the report, and may contact the APEX radiologist to discuss suggested treatments. From the time a patient’s image is received to the time it is posted to a secure website, every step in the process is automated using AppleScript. “We’ve created an integrated, automated workflow that’s akin to those found in the publishing industry,” says Rome. “The Mac and AppleScript have helped us achieve unparalleled efficiency and cost-effective image-processing.”
Central to APEX’s remote-imaging solution, the Mac also has proven ideal for managing the business. The company also uses the Mac for invoicing and financial reporting. An AppleScript automatically transfers customer account information from multiple, cross-platform computers and databases.
Hands-Free Maintenance
The Mac enables fast, easy set-up, plugging effortlessly into any network. Its ease of use and rock-solid reliability also make it ideal for use in demanding medical environments where there is little time for training. APEX finds it easy and cost-effective to maintain its Apple equipment in the field, much of which is placed in rural areas. Using Netopia Timbuktu Pro and netOctopus systems management software, APEX can maintain hundreds of Macintosh computers right over the Internet. The ability to update user preferences and software as well as provide training remotely reduces maintenance costs dramatically.
A New Era for Medical Communications
In addition to more basic teleradiology, APEX is now enabling richer communications between physicians and with patients. The company is piloting the use of interactive multimedia reports that use QuickTime to replay a sound file of the radiologist’s analysis along with high-resolution patient images. This has exciting implications, especially for moving medical images such as ultrasound that are better presented in video format. “When our QuickTime-based reports are widely available, we’ll be able to post ultrasound images of an unborn baby to the web for mothers- and fathers-to-be, complete with the radiologist providing verbal interpretations of the baby’s movements,” says Rome. “This will be nothing less than revolutionary in terms of how medical practitioners share information with each other and with patients.”
