The ROI of DICOM: A Candy Striper’s Story
I’m teaching this week — health informatics to nurses, public health and health administration students. Last
week we discussed standards and interoperability; and it reminded me of a story. The memory was triggered by student discussions. One said it must
have been difficult to receive excellent medical care 50 years ago without todays health information tools. The other reviewed the DICOM standards, which were developed and are maintained to meet needs for evolving medical imaging technologies.
First, I’ll stay it wasn’t always difficult, but there was a bit of fortune or luck involved in care and treatment relying on paper and other physical records. It was too easy for things to be overlooked, to get lost or not be available in time. Soon after I read another discussion about DICOM; and it too involved a bit of luck — on my part and the hospital’s. So here is my story.
My hospital administration career began as a Candy Striper (aka Junior Hospital Volunteer). I was 14 and 15 years old, living in 1970s hot and humid New Orleans, and assigned to the radiology department. I brought patients down to get their x-rays and then back up and helped wherever possible. One of my assignments was to file radiology films (x-ray, ultrasound, etc) in a shed (think Home Depot/Lowes) behind the hospital. It was full of shelves with rows of big heavy folders stuffed with films. They were awkward to handle, especially if that section was squeezed full of films. And, being summer in New Orleans, there were no windows and only a small fan.
Here is the risk analysis and the return on investment for DICOM. None of the staff liked filing films (notice), so they always wanted to assign it to me. A kid (minor) who was soaked from perspiration/rain and with a red face from being so hot, for too long while moving heavy stuff (child labor laws) when I walked back into the coolness of the hospital . Wearing my risk manager hat, I’ve often thought back on that experience and my luck in not having passed out from heat exhaustion — — and not being found before it was too late.
When I think of DICOM today, I also consider how it contributes to the safety of staff (mostly women at the time) having to manage all of that heavy film and young teens being sent out to work in what we now know of today as a hazardous work environment.
I loved my job and it greatly influenced my career path. But, there is always room for improvement.
Originally published at https://thielst.typepad.com.
