Business, An Easy Explanation of What A PACS System Is


by JONATHAN BLOCKER - Date: 2008-08-06 - Word Count: 476 Share This!

The field of medical imaging has never been more efficient and easier manage due in large part to the grown of PACS software technology. In this field of picture archiving, medical imaging and communication systems, radiology PACS techs use computers and networks dedicated solely to the storage, retrieval, distribution and presentation of images. The PACS system is a far cry from the old days of storing flimsy x-rays films in dark and dreary rooms.

Those old film based images have been replaced with crystal clear, digital images. Once an image is captured, it then becomes part of the patient's medical record which is stored electronically anymore. These can be called up immediately and securely available to caregivers throughout any hospital with the ease of a few clicks since the pacs archive is stored in an independent format, with dicom viewers being the most common format for storage. A PACS system has three main uses:

- Replacing hard copy images: ris pacs replaces the hard-copy means of managing medical images, such as film archives and storage. - Remote and off-site access: Additionally, PACS software allows practitioners at various physical locations to access the same information simultaneously. - Tele-education: It expands on the possibilities of medical capabilities such as off-site viewing, diagnosis and education. The benefits of a PACS systems is often cited as the decreased turnaround time for a radiology report, the shorter times in takes for diagnosis and treatment, instant display of vital patient information, the simultaneous distribution of patient radiology information to multiple locations, and the increased efficiency of radiology. Another benefit of a PACS system is its ability to store, retrieve, transport, display and print medical images throughout any hospital. Radiology PACS expands the data captured by the hospital's existing computer system and what you get is a more complete electronic patient record.

This cutting edge, new RIS PACS technology not only provides important diagnostic images faster, but creates an online history of images which can be called upon from anywhere at anytime. Your medical records are no longer dependent on a physical record that can be used by only one person at a time. Let's not overlook the fact that these film copies can be misplaced, lost, or even destroyed. The most difficult area for PACS software is in the interpretation of the DICOM viewer image format. DICOM normally has enough freedom to allow various vendors of medical imaging equipment to create compliant and incompliant files. The ability to read the metadata from all the images in a central database is a common feature with a PACS system. This allows radiology PACS users the ability to retrieve an image with a common feature no matter what the originating instrument was.

The PACS system and radiology PACS are offered by nearly every major medical imaging equipment manufacturers, medical IT companies as well as independent software companies.


Related Tags: pacs system, radiology pacs, pacs software, ris pacs, dicom viewers, pacs archive

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