Value of on-line informational databases in a radiology department.

Radiologists and ancillary personnel in a radiology department frequently access a variety of paper-based information during their workday to facilitate decision making. This information can be as mundane as telephone numbers and work schedules or as important as a detailed emergency procedure for treating a patient with a severe contrast reaction. We have installed some hierarchical, textual database systems on the same computer that runs our radiology information system. Several different databases are maintained, including protocol manuals, emergency procedures, and a directory of telephone and pager numbers. This information is accessible from any terminal connected to our radiology information system and from any personal computer connected to our department's local area network or terminal server. Advantages include decreased costs from the photocopying, consumption, and distribution of paper; ubiquitous access for all users to a single source of information; faster and more powerful ways to access data than paper-based media provide; decreased risk of inadvertently using information from an obsolete document; and convenience in maintaining computerized versus paper-based information. Because we use software that is either free or that came with our computer's operating system, no additional software costs were involved.