Medical Imaging Blog

Picture Archiving and Communication System

What Should You Look for in a Next-Generation Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS)?

As the next-generation of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) are finding their way into the market place, many healthcare organizations are realizing the second time around can be much more complex when it comes to implementation.

The question is, what can organizations expect to see as far as changes between the two systems? A lot, according to an article from Health Imaging. But with calculated planning, the benefits of a second-generation PACS are predictable.

The article suggests healthcare organizations ensure a second-generation PACS:

Provides HIPAA-compliant asset tracking
Allows for teaching file and peer review documentation

Continue Reading: What Should You Look for in a Next-Generation Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS)?

Medical Imaging Solution Enhances the Patient Experience at Bloomington Hospital

Before implementing a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and Radiology Information System (RIS), Bloomington Hospital faced the same challenge as many multi-facility hospitals.

While its facilities shared the same patients, they didn’t share patient information and images.

Bloomington Hospital needed a medical imaging solution that would help it enhance the overall patient experience – from ordering to report distribution.

Specifically, the Indiana hospital was in search of a medical imaging solution to eliminate:

Slow report turnaround times and delayed patient treatments
The need for radiologists to travel long distances to other facilities to interpret exams

Continue Reading: Medical Imaging Solution Enhances the Patient Experience at Bloomington Hospital

PACS Administrator Scott Griffin on the Secrets to a Successful PACS Implementation

What does it take to ensure a successful Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) implementation?

No more than:

Proper staff training
The right PACS solution
Thorough assessment of user requirements
Accurate budgeting in terms of costs and time

And of course, an experienced, knowledgeable PACS administrator.

Scott Griffin, PACS Administrator

PACS Administrator Scott Griffin’s previous experience with several large-scale implementations helped Southeast Alabama Medical Center seamlessly install a PACS. The implementation was so successful, the hospital was able to go 90% filmless in less than six months.

Continue Reading: PACS Administrator Scott Griffin on the Secrets to a Successful PACS Implementation

Medical Imaging Technology at Baton Rouge General Reduces Report Turnaround Time to 3 Hours

Baton Rouge General Medical Center – particularly its radiology department – has a long history of staying on the forefront of the technology curve. It was the first in the US to operate a radiation therapy unit, the first in its region to offer endoscopic ultrasounds and the first in the state to offer portable digital radiology systems.

That long-standing history is what led it to adopt the next generation of medical imaging technology.

The medical center needed to leverage medical imaging technology that could enable fast, easy access to digital images across the enterprise. Plus, it needed a solution that would help it meet the meaningful use requirements associated with tapping into federal stimulus incentives.

Continue Reading: Medical Imaging Technology at Baton Rouge General Reduces Report Turnaround Time to 3 Hours

PACS Implementation Best Practices From Main Line Health System’s Ken Olbrish

Ken Olbrish on PACS implementation best practices

In this day and age, Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) are essential for providing images immediately and anywhere. Main Line Health System Enterprise Imaging Administrator Ken Olbrish understands that firsthand.

Main Line Health System, located outside of Philadelphia, successfully completed an enterprise PACS implementation. We sat down with Olbrish to discuss lessons learned from the PACS implementation.

When a PACS must be integrated with other devices, what challenges do administrators face?
There are several challenges for PACS administrators to overcome.

Continue Reading: PACS Implementation Best Practices From Main Line Health System’s Ken Olbrish

PACS Adoption to Experience Significant Growth by 2015

Just what will the Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) market look like in five years?

A recent GlobalData report sheds light on the future growth and adoption of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS). “US Picture Arching and Communication Systems (PACS) Market: Increasing Adoption to Drive Growth,” found that the market will:

Grow by 13% annually for the next seven years
Reach $2.5 billion in 2015, up from $1 billion in 2008

The report also found that PACS adoption will be driven by:

1. Small and mid-sized hospitals looking to cut costs and increase efficiency.

Continue Reading: PACS Adoption to Experience Significant Growth by 2015

34 Iowa Healthcare Facilities Soon to Benefit From PACS Implementation

Soon, 34 metropolitan hospitals and clinics throughout the state of Iowa will be experiencing streamlined workflow and improved productivity.

That’s because Iowa Health System – the state’s first and largest integrated health system – has partnered with McKesson for an enterprise Horizon Medical Imaging™ Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) implementation.

Iowa Health System conducts an increasing number of procedures every year, and needed a solution that could help physicians and staff deliver high-quality, timely patient care now and in the future.

The healthcare system chose McKesson to replace its former PACS vendor in order to meet its growing diagnostic imaging needs.

Continue Reading: 34 Iowa Healthcare Facilities Soon to Benefit From PACS Implementation

Q&A With Dr. Dan Chernoff: The Formula for a Successful PACS Implementation

Glen Falls Hospital

Glens Falls Hospital and its affiliated private practice radiology group, Adirondack Radiology Associates, needed a way to effectively manage medical imaging and reports across the enterprise. Faced with fragmented imaging records across a wide geographic region and facilities, these providers opted for a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) implementation to create a unified view of patient records and increase clinician productivity and satisfaction.

The Medical Imaging Talk Blog discusses the successful PACS implementation with Dr. Dan Chernoff, radiologist and director of radiology at Adirondack Radiology Associates.

Continue Reading: Q&A With Dr. Dan Chernoff: The Formula for a Successful PACS Implementation

PACS Video: Implementing Enterprise Medical Imaging

During the 2008 Society for Imaging Informatics Annual Meeting, Mark Crowder of McKesson Medical Imaging shared with RT Image magazine the McKesson strategy for successful implementation of enterprise medical imaging throughout healthcare facilities.

In the informative PACS video below, Crowder introduces the concept of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS). He explains how PACS:

Captures images
Stores images in a repository
Distributes images to clinicians wherever they may be

Crowder also shares how the McKesson PACS workflow helps healthcare facilities improve the quality of patient care.

Continue Reading: PACS Video: Implementing Enterprise Medical Imaging

Q&A: Authors of Acclaimed PACS Book Discuss Radiology PACS Advancements

Advanced medical imaging systems are changing the way hospitals and radiology clinics operate and provide care. The Medical Imaging Talk Blog spoke with the authors of Digital Radiography and PACS, Christi E. Carter and Beth L. Veale, to better understand the affects of radiology Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) on radiologists, physicians, patients and even medical students. Discover best practice advice for implementing a PACS, how today’s medical students are learning about medical imaging and what the future may hold.