Interactive Multimedia Software for Preparation and Presentation of Clinical Conferences

摘要

Purpose: To present a multimedia presentation platform that allows retrieving data from any digital or analog imaging modality. The system includes an authoring environment allowing users to select key images and cine sequences and to prepare a script of a presentation stored in an XML file. Methods: The software was initially implemented for multidisciplinary cardiac conferences involving different cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons. A typical presentation requires concise presentations of patient data and images and summary reports of data obtained from the different procedures. An XML-based scripting methodology was developed to allow for preparation of these presentations. The image display program uses the generated script for the sequential presentation of different documents in a pre-determined presentation settings. Results: A workstation equipped with the software platform was tested in an integrated electronic setting where selected images and data are gathered from different sources and transferred to the workstation. The XML script of a given presentation can further be saved as part of the patient record for subsequent review of the documents and images that supported a given medical or therapeutic decision. Discussion and conclusion: The script-based presentation mode allows for shorter and more effective clinical presentations that are much less time consuming than traditional conferences where analog data must be reviewed on different devices. This also constitutes a perfect documentation method for surgeons and physicians responsible of therapeutic procedures that were decided upon during the clinical conference. It allows them to review the relevant data that supported a given therapeutic decision.