Ramin Javan BS, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Bryan S. Jeun, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Spencer Bradley Gay MD, Abstract Co-Author: Advisory Board, Eastman Kodak Company Speakers Bureau, General Electric Company

Juan Miguel Olazagasti MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Matthew J. Bassignani MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To devise an inexpensive method for providing live online broadcast of educational case conferences to residents rotating through a distant site. The aim is to deliver equivalent training to off-site trainees per ACGME requirements.

Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 was used to program a Windows-based application. Libraries from Windows Media Encoder 9.0 were implemented to encode a streaming video, capturing the presenter's screen and audio. A T1 connection at all sites was used to transmit data online.

The residency program is currently using the application on a daily basis. It is unique in that it implements a freely available technology and requires no additional resources. The sharpness of images and the gradients of gray remain close to intact. Residents view presentations with 10-30 seconds lag at a distant site using Windows Media Player. Furthermore, the encoding can capture not just PowerPoint slides, but any content within the viewable screen. Presentations are also archived as video files on a local hard-drive and can be automatically uploaded to a website for later download. When viewing an archived video, the application allows the user to select from a panel of thumbnail images of PowerPoint slides that are temporally synchronized to video content for flexible browsing. Issues such as simplification of end-user interface, need for illustrated instructions, and problems regarding wireless microphones were resolved. A number of limitations still exist, mainly due to the application's heavy CPU load in producing high-quality video. However, the application can be optimized for performance by adjusting video properties such as screen dimension by pixels, motion smoothness by frames-per-second as well as the compression ratio.

A free, simple and proven technology was developed to address some of the challenges faced by residency programs in providing equivalent training to residents at distant sites, without the need for a costly commercial product or equipment.

This application allows residents to view scheduled conferences off-site, obviating the need to commute between sites, thereby saving 1.5 to 2 hours per day per resident to attend to clinical duties.

Javan, R, Jeun, B, Gay, S, Olazagasti, J, Bassignani, M, Increasing the Efficiency of Radiology Resident Training by Using Windows Media Encoder as an Inexpensive Method for Delivering High Quality Live Broadcasts to Distant Locations.  Radiological Society of North America 2007 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2007 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2007/5007034.html