VIENNA - A group of researchers from the Charité Campus Virchow in Berlin introduced an online, tutorial-based radiology cost-effectiveness tool called Mediconomia at this week’s European Congress of Radiology.
Developed by Dr. Maciej Pech and his colleagues at Charité, Mediconomia is a multimodality case-based teaching program for workflow and cost-effectiveness in radiology. Dr. Ulf Teichgraber presented the group's results at the Web and information systems scientific presentations.
The goal of the development project was to create a computer-based tool that could educate physicians at all levels, from residents to senior radiologists, about the economics of diagnostic procedures.
The group used off-the-shelf tools, such as Macromedia’s Director authoring program, to create the application's front-end. Underlying the multimedia-based user interface is a relational database to track user input and provide feedback on diagnostic choices.
They designed the program for radiologists, but also made it expandable for other specialties. As a result, the application presents the entire spectrum of diagnostic decision-making to the user.
The software tracks each diagnostic decision made by a user. The decision’s clinical consequences are recorded, and a cost calculation is made on the basis of selected treatment. During the workup of a case, the program follows not only the accuracy of the final diagnosis but also the costs generated.
On the basis of the application algorithms, a user is required to analyze and define an appropriate and cost-effective diagnostic pathway. The code group based the application’s structure on open-source models, leaving it modifiable and expandable to meet varying future requirements.
As part of their user-feedback research, the group created a survey that was conducted via an online questionnaire. A total of 26 registered online users returned the survey. The team reported a high acceptance rate (> 90%) among medical students as well as physicians. The survey respondents also rated screen layout, schematic representations, and individual supplementary functions as appropriate.
In addition to the scientific presentation, Mediconomia's developers are demonstrating the program at the ECR's Golden Mile, an exhibit of technology and interactive displays. According to Teichgraber, the software and updates will soon be available on the Web.
By Jonathan S. BatchelorAuntMinnie.com staff writer
March 5, 2001
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