Teleconsultation: a new neurosurgical image transfer system for daily routine and emergency cases--a four-year study.

In January 1991, an image transfer unit was developed and installed in the neurosurgical department of the University in Mainz. The system provides an image transfer of patient data via fibreoptic cable networks (VBN), ISDN, and public telephone line. In the following 4 years, 432 consultations were recorded. Nine departments were linked within this system. They provided an emergency out-patient department for primary treatment and radiology. The lack of a neurosurgical department in these clinics was made up for by the image transfer system. In these rural medical departments, teleconsultation improves the care of daily routine neurosurgical cases, as well as in emergency cases. There is also a decrease of costs due to teleconsultation. The image transfer via simple public telephone line was sufficient.