RSNA Session to Ease the Pain of Spreadsheets and Databases

Radiology professionals commonly use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and FileMaker database software for data collection, organization and analysis. But they often don’t understand all the tools and tricks available to make the process easier and more productive, says Andrea Frangos, clinical instructor in diagnostic medical sonography at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.


Radiology professionals commonly use Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and FileMaker database software for data collection, organization and analysis. But they often don't understand all the tools and tricks available to make the process easier and more productive, says Andrea Frangos, clinical instructor in diagnostic medical sonography at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

At RNSA 2011, being held Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 in Chicago, Frangos will co-present an educational session on getting the most out of those tools. She and John Eng, M.D., associate professor of radiology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, will highlight features such as split screens and filters that make tasks more manageable.

They'll also explain how FileMaker works and how to enter information properly into a database. A column, for instance, may ask if a subject is male or female. Some users enter M or F, while others spell out the word. "But you can't analyze the field because you have data entered two different ways," Frangos says.

The hands-on session will include 25 computers with up to three attendees on each machine. "Databases are a tool people can use to make their lives much easier," Frangos adds. "This is a session for people to learn some tricks to make it more manageable and less intimidating."

Course RC554, "Data Collection, Organization and Analysis with Excel and FileMaker," is scheduled on Nov. 30 at 8:30 a.m. in Room S401AB. More information is available at rsna.org.

 

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