Aaron Michael Friedkin MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Matthew Giannetti, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

William J. Weadock MD, Abstract Co-Author: Owner, Weadock Software, LLC, Ann Abor, MI

Jacob Arthur Livermore MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

The purpose of this study is to review the access logs of our institition's MIRC server to better understand the usage trends of faculty, fellows and residents, particularly with regard to departmental "Case of the Day" teaching files.

Our institution utilizes a MIRC server to host a web based radiology teaching file tool. Each radiology faculty, fellow and resident can access the system with their unique name and password. Cases are contributed to the teaching file by these same individuals. Each teaching file case on the system has a unique case identifier which is created at the time the case is added to the system. Over the last 24+ months, a daily e-mail has been sent out to a user group comprised of faculty, fellows and residents throughout our department. This e-mail contains a web link (URL) to a specific case on our institution's MIRC server. This case is identified as the "Case of the Day (COD)." When a user logs in to the case, the MIRC server logs access by username, case ID, time, etc. We obtained an exemption from our institutional review board to analyze the data in this MIRC server log. Data is stored in the server log in the form of text files. These files were parsed into XML (Extensible Markup Language ) files for each year that the MIRC server has been in use. An XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) script was then used to retrieve selected data from these XML files. Using a Microsoft Excel pivot table, this data was organized by access time, day of the week, user, user status, and case ID number.

We identified that the most common time in which users access the MIRC server is within one hour of the "Case of the Day" e-mail being distributed. Accesses to the server were nearly evenly distributed throughout weekdays, with the most accesses occuring on Wednesdays. Not surprisingly, weekend days accounted for significantly less accesses.

We conclude that there is a correlation with accesses to our institution's MIRC server cases and the distribution of "Case of the Day" e-mails.

The use of a daily "Case of the Day" e-mail may provide an effective way for institutions to encourage the use of a MIRC-based electronic teaching file.

Friedkin, A, Giannetti, M, Weadock, W, Livermore, J, MIRC Server Analysis: Retrospective Review of Usage Patterns of an Institution-wide Web-based Teaching File.  Radiological Society of North America 2007 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2007 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2007/5008266.html