Keywords:
Digital imaging, Imaging informatics, Information technology, Radiology, Social media, Teleradiology
Abstract
The main objective of this paper is to provide an overview of the impact of information technology on radiology services during the past 15 years and to promote awareness of the digital revolution that is taking place in health care, including radiology. The combination of two major innovations is playing a central role in this revolution, namely, the Internet and the digitisation of medical information. The various stages of the Internet development and their relationship with the almost simultaneously ongoing digitisation of the radiology department are described. The onset of teleradiology services and the more recent trend toward the usage of cloud-based networks and services are explained. The recent changes in digital communication and electronic transmission of medical information are discussed, hereby paying attention to the value of social media in medicine and radiology in particular. Finally, the future prospects of health care and medical imaging are outlined in the spotlight of today’s major trends, and the role of the radiologist in this quickly changing environment is redefined.
Author Biography
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Erik R. Ranschaert, University Hospitals of Leuven
Erik Ranschaert was born on March 5th, 1964 in Baasrode, Belgium. After completing the Latin-Greek humanities at the Heilige Maagdcollege in Dendermonde (Hemaco) he started Medical School at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven) in 1982. He graduated with great distinction as Medical Doctor in 1989. From 1989 until 1994 he was trained as a radiologist at the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Troost Hospital (OLVT) in Dendermonde and at the University Hospital Leuven, under supervision of professor dr. A.L. Baert. From 1995 he worked at the Fusieziekenhuis AZ Heilig Hart in Ninove, Belgium and between 2001 - 2016 he was active as radiologist at the Jeroen Bosch Ziekenhuis in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. The start of his radiological activities on the Internet in the late 1990s were pivotal for his later fascination and dedication for informatisation and digitisation of radiology. In 1998 he founded the website “The Belgian Radiology Link” and the mailing list “European Forum for Radiologists” (EUFORA). With the creation of EUFORA he is considered as a pioneer in social networking for radiologists on the Internet. In 2000 he co-founded the teleradiology company Eurad Consult bvba, one of the first teleradiology enterprises in Europe. He was member of the company’s board of directors until 2008. After Unilabs SA had achieved the company he remained active as business consultant until 2010. Dr. Ranschaert is an active member of many scientific societies and organisations, including the Belgian Society of Radiology (BSR), the European Society of Radiology (ESR), the European Society of Gastro-abdominal Radiology (ESGAR), the ESOI (European Society of Oncologic Imaging) and the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). In 2015 he became board member of the European Society of Medical Imaging Informatics (EuSoMII), after having been member of the earlier EuroPACS society, which changed its name in 2014. He was member and chairman of the ECR Computer Applications subcommittee (2006-2008), for which functions he received a certificate of recognition. Between 2012 and 2014 he was member ICT-working group of the NVvR and since 2013 he is a member of the ESR e-Health and Informatics subcommittee. Being a member of this subcommittee he became involved in the ESR-RSNA Template Library Panel (TLAP) for Structured Reporting in 2014. In the same year he became member of the ESR Leadership Institute. He was editorial board member of the scientific journal “Insights into Imaging” between 2009 - 2013 and is still active as a reviewer. He also reviews papers of the “Digestive Surgery” and the “Health Informatics Journal”. Between 1998 and 2011 he was editorial board member of the radiological magazine “Diagnostic Imaging Europe”. Between 2000 and 2002 he published 20 articles in this magazine as author of the monthly column “Surfing the Net”. Between the years 2009 and 2012 he was co-editor of Radiopaedia.org, the largest and best known collaborative radiology resource, on which he published 46 cases and edited several articles. He gave 36 lectures on invitation at national and international courses and conferences (see bibliography). He authored and co-authored 18 peer-reviewed articles and he published 3 scientific posters on the ESR Electronic Presentation Online System (EPOS). He is married to Annelies Van de Poel, and they are blessed with 3 lovely children, William, Marie-Line and Anneleen.
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