Patients-not just Images
Devoted to Education and Practice in Patient-centered Radiology
What you don't see..
What you don't see..
Ravi Ramakantan
Ravi Ramakantan
"Sir, do you have another WhatsApp phone number ?
"Sir, do you have another WhatsApp phone number ?
I often get asked this by people who want my opinion on radiographs.
I often get asked this by people who want my opinion on radiographs.
"Sorry I do not use WhatsApp; please send the images by email" is my rehearsed answer.
"Sorry I do not use WhatsApp; please send the images by email" is my rehearsed answer.
That sort of ends the conversation in a hurry since many WhatsApp users seem not to be aware of how to send images by email. I can almost hear them muttering expletives under their breath “Old man....behind times .. no WhatsApp?!!” perhaps some more colorful ones too.
That sort of ends the conversation in a hurry since many WhatsApp users seem not to be aware of how to send images by email. I can almost hear them muttering expletives under their breath “Old man....behind times .. no WhatsApp?!!” perhaps some more colorful ones too.
Though many of these WhatsApp opinion requests are from non-radiologists, I get asked for my opinion on such images by radiology colleagues as well ....many are friends that I have great respect for. All said and done, I try my best not to have opine on "WhatsApp radiographs".
Though many of these WhatsApp opinion requests are from non-radiologists, I get asked for my opinion on such images by radiology colleagues as well ....many are friends that I have great respect for. All said and done, I try my best not to have opine on "WhatsApp radiographs".
What’s wrong with WhatsApp images on cell phones?
What’s wrong with WhatsApp images on cell phones?
I take every opportunity to tell my friends and acquaintances that when we spend lakhs of rupees on diagnostic monitors, how could you expect someone to report conventional radiology images captured on cellphone cameras - no matter how good the display. Besides these images are in shades of blue or green.
I take every opportunity to tell my friends and acquaintances that when we spend lakhs of rupees on diagnostic monitors, how could you expect someone to report conventional radiology images captured on cellphone cameras - no matter how good the display. Besides these images are in shades of blue or green.
This kind of logic often falls on deaf ears.
This kind of logic often falls on deaf ears.
On occasions, it becomes impossible to say ‘no’ to such requests - especially if they are from your colleagues or when they say “Sorry, there are no other images”.
On occasions, it becomes impossible to say ‘no’ to such requests - especially if they are from your colleagues or when they say “Sorry, there are no other images”.
Then I spend about 5 mins post processing these images on Adobe Photoshop to get grayscale images that I can see on a large desktop medical grade monitor and try to give an opinion.
Then I spend about 5 mins post processing these images on Adobe Photoshop to get grayscale images that I can see on a large desktop medical grade monitor and try to give an opinion.
How does one solve this problem?
How does one solve this problem?
Make the best of the worst....here is a reasonable way of sharing images captured on your cell phone camera .. WhatsApp is not the only way!!
Make the best of the worst....here is a reasonable way of sharing images captured on your cell phone camera .. WhatsApp is not the only way!!
Learn about the camera on your cell phone. Almost every camera has a “Grayscale mode” Use that to capture images of radiographs. All cameras have automatic exposure control system. Therefore adjust the field of view to just what you want to show. No unnecessary white lights from the view box! This makes the image go dark.
Learn about the camera on your cell phone. Almost every camera has a “Grayscale mode” Use that to capture images of radiographs. All cameras have automatic exposure control system. Therefore adjust the field of view to just what you want to show. No unnecessary white lights from the view box! This makes the image go dark.
DO NOT use the digital zoom on the camera.
DO NOT use the digital zoom on the camera.
The best part, you can learn in under one minute how to share camera images on email. It is literally a few taps away.
The best part, you can learn in under one minute how to share camera images on email. It is literally a few taps away.
And if the images are on your digital system itself, all manufactures provide a way of storing them in a lossless jpeg format and the cell phone camera is unnecessary - most times. Since the jpeg images can be emailed as such.
And if the images are on your digital system itself, all manufactures provide a way of storing them in a lossless jpeg format and the cell phone camera is unnecessary - most times. Since the jpeg images can be emailed as such.
Why by email? Most people do not have the WhatsApp clients on their laptops or desktops. But they do have email. Images sent via emails can be effortlessly seen on a large monitor.. some may even have diagnostic quality monitors on which they view emails.
Why by email? Most people do not have the WhatsApp clients on their laptops or desktops. But they do have email. Images sent via emails can be effortlessly seen on a large monitor.. some may even have diagnostic quality monitors on which they view emails.
I take every opportunity to lecture to my friends on how wrong it is to try to interpret images - especially conventional radiology images on cell phones and that too when the images have not been captured properly.
I take every opportunity to lecture to my friends on how wrong it is to try to interpret images - especially conventional radiology images on cell phones and that too when the images have not been captured properly.
When I say all this, I often get the stock answer:
When I say all this, I often get the stock answer:
“But, why do all this, we are able see everything on WhatsApp images on cell phones'.
“But, why do all this, we are able see everything on WhatsApp images on cell phones'.
And thereby hangs a tale.
And thereby hangs a tale.
It is not about what you can see - it is about what you can't see on cell phone images.
It is not about what you can see - it is about what you can't see on cell phone images.
If this were your son or daughter, mother or father, wife or husband would you be satisfied if someone reported on their radiographs on cell phone images and not on diagnostic monitors and said "no scaphoid fracture, no pneumothorax no pneumoperitoneum.." The list is endless.
If this were your son or daughter, mother or father, wife or husband would you be satisfied if someone reported on their radiographs on cell phone images and not on diagnostic monitors and said "no scaphoid fracture, no pneumothorax no pneumoperitoneum.." The list is endless.
And, all this when you want another person’s opinion on something that you yourself cannot make up your mind about.
And, all this when you want another person’s opinion on something that you yourself cannot make up your mind about.
Expediency instead of excellence in matters concerning patient welfare is not something anyone should resort to. This would be especially so if you are a medical teacher.. You are setting up a wrong example of “Kuch bhi chalta hai” (anything will do)
Expediency instead of excellence in matters concerning patient welfare is not something anyone should resort to. This would be especially so if you are a medical teacher.. You are setting up a wrong example of “Kuch bhi chalta hai” (anything will do)
Ponder over the “unseen” on WhatsApp images and make the unseen seen if only for the sake of your trusting patients and ‘watching” students.
Ponder over the “unseen” on WhatsApp images and make the unseen seen if only for the sake of your trusting patients and ‘watching” students.
And in the WhatsApp of life,
And in the WhatsApp of life,
It is not about how much you have; but about how much you give.
It is not about how much you have; but about how much you give.
It is not about how much you know, but about how much you teach.
It is not about how much you know, but about how much you teach.
And when your time's up, it is not about how much you did but about how much you've left behind.
And when your time's up, it is not about how much you did but about how much you've left behind.
June 2022
June 2022