GODS User's Guide

Xuedong Chen
Heri Mariwa
Kimmy (Hsiang-ling) Lin
Rui Yu
Dr. Ethan Bolker

© 2005 The GODS Team

Table Of Content

1. What is GODS?

2. Installing GODS

3. Invoking GODS

4. Using GODS -- Stand-alone

    4.1 Import a database

    4.2 Select a patient

    4.3 Working with marks

    4.4 Adding mark-unrelated annotations

    4.5 Saving a record

    4.6 Creating a report in MS Word

    4.7 Exiting GODS

5. Invoking GODS from Access

    5.1 Working with Access form

    5.2 Select a patient

    5.3 Working with marks

    5.4 Adding mark-unrelated annotations

    5.5 Saving a record

    5.6 Mail Merge

    5.7 Exiting GODS

1. What is GODS

GODS, Graphical Oncology Diagnostic System, is an application that allows physicians to digitally annotate medical images for diagnostic and educational purposes.

With GODS, physicians can draw markings on medical images like X-rays, sketches or photographs and make diagnostic annotations relating to each marking. The information can then be stored for future medical references or for the physician's personal library.

GODS can also be used to capture images and manipulate their sizes and resolutions. It further allows physicians to communicate images with each another and exchange medical opinions. More importantly, included features of GODS can be personalized to suit any physician's needs.

Currently, GODS is developed for Dr. Kevin Hughes of The Avon Foundation Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center at the Massachusetts General Hospital for his diagnoses of breast cancer patients. This application first focuses on mammogram processing. In the future, it will be adaptable in the diagnosis of any part of the human body.

2. Installing GODS

Follow the steps below to install GODS:

  1. Download the Windows Installer "GODS_Version.exe".

  2. Double-click on the Windows Installer and install GODS

  3. Double-click on the GODS shortcut on your desktop to start.

3. Invoking GODS

You can run GODS in two modes -- Stand-alone or Invoked-from-Access.

In the stand-alone mode, you need to link to an Access database table. See Using GODS -- Stand-alone for more detailed instructions.

In the invoked-from Access mode, you need to modify your Access database to invoke GODS. Besides, you can only work with one record at a time. See Invoking GODS from Access for more detailed instructions. Unless you understand programming with Visual Basic in Access, we recommend you using the stand-alone mode.

4. Using GODS -- Stand-alone

4.1 Import a database

Follow the steps below to import a database into GODS:

  1. Select "Options" in GODS menu and select "Link Database Table".

  2. After a dialog shows up, select "Browse" button to select the Microsoft Access database you want to work on.

  3. Enter the name of the Access database table you want to work on.

  4. Fill in the field mappings between the patient database table and the fields that will be presented in GODS.

  5. Select "OK" button to link the database table.

  6. The first record of the database table will be loaded in GODS.

4.2 Select a patient

Follow the steps below to load a patient's record into GODS:

  1. Click on the arrow button in "Name" value field and select the patient name from the drop-down list. Or

  2. Click on the arrow button in "MRN" value field and select the patient's MRN (Medical Record Number) from the drop-down list.

4.3 Working with marks

4.4 Adding mark-unrelated annotations

4.5 Saving a record

Follow the steps below to save a patient's record:

  1. Click on the "Save" button on the top panel. Or

  2. Select "File" from the menu and choose "Save".

  3. A confirmation window will show up to confirm those annotations saved. If you don't want this confirmation window to show up every time you save a record, check "Don't show me again" in the window. To change this setting, go to "Preference" in the "Option" menu.

4.6 Creating a report in MS Word

4.7 Exiting GODS

Follow the steps below to exit GODS:

  1. Click on clicks on the "X" on the application window. Or

  2. Click on the "Exit" button on the top panel.

  3. Select "File" from the menu and choose "Exit".

  4. If you have record unsaved, you will be asked to save the record before you exit or abort.

5. Invoking GODS from Access

5.1 Working with Access form

Follow the steps below to create new a new form in Access:

  1. Creating a new form

    Use a form wizard to create a form from a table or a query. The VB script we provided based on some pre-defined fields in the form:

    • MRN -- Medical Record Number
    • PT -- Patient Name
    • current_date_of_interest -- Appointment Date
    • DOB -- Date of Birth
    • practitioner -- Practitioner

    You need to have these fields in your form. If you use a different name, simply change VB script accordingly.

  2. Adding a button
    On the form you just created, add a button to it. Copy and pase these text to the button's event.

  3. Clicking the button
    You should be able to invoke GODS by clicking on the button. The patient shows up in GODS is the current patient in the form.

5.2 Select a patient

You can only select the patient via your Access form. GODS will load whatever patient on the form into its diagnostic panel.

5.3 Working with marks -- See 4.3

5.4 Working with mark-unrelated annotations -- See 4.4

5.5 Saving a record -- See 4.5

5.6 Mail Merge

If you are using mail merge to create a report for your patient, you can also include the annotated image and diagnostic summary to the merged document.

Import a merge document
  1. Select "Options" in GODS menu and select "Import Mail Merge Document".

  2. After a dialog shows up, select "Browse" button to select the Microsoft Word merge document you want to use.

  3. Click on the "OK" button.

Create the report
  1. Click on the "Mail Merge" button, GODS will execute the merge document you just imported and insert the annotated image and the diagnostic summary in a section called "Diagnoses from GODS".

  2. Save the document in a directory of your choice.

5.7 Exiting GODS -- See 4.7