摘要：Both in real-time and “store & forward” tele-echocardiography (T-E), a coding process
has to be applied to the echocardiographic videoclips in order to limit the bandwidth needed and
adapt it to the bandwidths furnished by network providers. The compression process degrades the
videoclips, affecting thus the quality of the videoclips and potentially compromising the diagnostic
accuracy of the T-E. In this work the authors investigated on the use of automatic tools for the
video quality assessment by means of objective methods with particular care to the role of the system
administrator. As the use of tests on video quality assessment (based on subjective methods)
is hampered by the high number of needed resources (persons, laboratories and time). The use of
valid objective methods is thus desirable. The study reviewed different tools with this specific aim.
One of the more suitable tool was found to be represented by a software package designed by the
Institute of Telecommunication Sciences and the National Telecommunication and Information
Administration, the NTIA/ITS VQM tool. This tool gives back objective-quantitative data as outcomes,
however embeds models emulating the subjective perception. This study reviewed and analyzed
in depth the functionalities of the tool to improve the image quality in TE over the network.
The tool was also found suitable for a more general process of T-E assessment, from a health technology
assessment (HTA ) perspective.
关键词：tele-echocardiography, video quality assessment, video quality metric, health technology assessment.
