Effective 2010, Labs Must Submit All Cases Digitally

FEBRUARY 2009 | Beginning January 1, 2010, VHS tapes will no longer be an accepted format for submitting case studies to the ICAEL. These cases must first be transferred to a digital format (CD or DVD) prior to submission.

In order to provide laboratories with more timely reviews of submitted material, the ICAEL has found it necessary to eliminate the VHS tape format. Many of our reviewers no longer have access to the videotape equipment that is needed for the review of VHS tapes. Please note: It is not the intent of the ICAEL to force applicant laboratories into the digital world. How the laboratory chooses to record and retain diagnostic data for internal use and storage, whether analog or digital, is still left to the discretion of the laboratory. However, final submission to the ICAEL must be in a digital format (CD or DVD). Along with the case studies, the appropriate viewing software must be included on the submitted CD or DVD.

There are numerous avenues available for converting from video to digital. For example, a laboratory may choose to use a video capture card, which will convert videotaped recordings, complete or in selected parts, into a digital format. A web search for converting video to digital format will provide the laboratory with many different options.

For more information on case studies and the requirements for submission, see Case Studies.