The Future of Radiology

Picture Archiving
Communication System
(PACS)

MED INF 404 – Winter

2009
Kenyetta Cole
Derrick Hawkins
Rozmin Pirwani
Candyce Thompson
Outline

§ Introduction
§ What is PACS?
§ Integration of PACS
§ Handling of Third Party Films
§ Radiology Department
Workflow
What is
PACS?
 Picture
Archiving and
Communications System
§ Enables image viewing
▪ X-rays
▪ CT Scans
▪ MRI
§ Enables centralized storage
▪
What is PACS?
(c0nt’d)

 PACS offers full interoperability and

compatibility:
§ NHS Connecting for Health
§ Radiotherapy
§ CT
§ MRI
§ Nuclear Medicine
§ Angiography
§ Dental
§ Ultrasound
§ Other specialties and services

Benefits of
PACS
 Allows nearly film-less process
 Removes hard film costs
 Releases valuable storage space
 Also benefits:
§ Patients
§ Clinicians
§ Hospital

Cost of
Implementation
 Based on:
§ Sophistication of enterprise
§ Imaging inventory/needs


 Is a trade-off:
§ Decrease operating costs
§ Increase capital costs

Integration
 PACS serves as a storage repository for all
radiology images

 Integrates with RIS to exchange patient
demographic information which reduces
clerical errors

 Uses DICOM protocol to exchange image data
with modalities

 Provides one interface for radiologist to view,
interpret, and report findings

 Essential for multi-slice and advanced imaging
equipment
Modalities

 CT
 MRI
 Nuclear Medicine
 Ultrasound
 X-Ray
 Images from each modality are
noted with that modality’s
specific information
Co-existing with IT
Infrastructure

 Uses internal network with some

modifications to send images


 Same communication protocols

as current network traffic


 Can interface with network

operating system and use the
same user names

Radiology Dept.
Workflow
 Common goal among radiology
depts.
§ “To provide the highest quality of
care to patients.”


 To understand benefits of PACS

must understand:
§ the workflow of a film-based
department versus the workflow
of a filmless department

High level Process
Map
Radiology Department
Film-based
Workflow
Transmission of
Images
 Studies or individual images can
be transmitted


 Images can be exported to CD or

printed on film


 Images can be imported from CD

or from printed film


 Images can be used for training

medical personnel

Questions