The multimedia electronic patient record: current issues.

Complete online patient data including both traditional medical chart information and clinical images is essential in providing healthcare in a multi-facility environment. To meet this need, the Department of Veterans Affairs has developed a multimedia online patient record that includes traditional medical chart information as well as a wide variety of medical images from specialties such as cardiology, pulmonary and gastrointestinal medicine, pathology, radiology, hematology, and nuclear medicine. The ability to perform direct image acquisition from DICOM devices combined with diagnostic radiology reading from high resolution workstations allows hospitals to operate without making xray film. The wide area network connection supports ad hoc queries to records at other VA sites. The practicing physician has all of the information needed, anywhere in the hospital, at any time.