In her doctor's office, she was even more surprised when the physician displayed her X-rays on a desktop computer monitor. Telemedicine is sweeping health care worldwide, according to DoD officials. Service medics used telemedicine in Somalia, and the Navy routinely employs the technology aboard ships. Currently, the Medical Advanced Technology Management Office at Fort Detrick, Md., is fielding telemedicine support packages for medical units in Bosnia. Madigan's Medical Digital Imaging System replaces acetate film with digital radiology imagery.
Technicians store the imagery and medical interpretations on laser discs for quick access.
DoD medical facilities typically lose 25 percent of all X-rays taken, he noted. With the system, the images are stored in a permanent archive on laser discs. Every five years, he added, DoD recycles X-ray film to recover silver used to process the negatives. Digital images, however, can be retained as long as necessary. About 40 percent of the time when film X-rays are available, Bender said, the data contained in the patient's medical record is unavailable.