subject: Pacs System Critical Component In Networking Diagnostic Results [print this page] The evolution of technology in our society has influenced every aspect of our world. This is especially easy to see in the realm of medicine. All of us are aware that advances in diagnostics now allow medical professionals to easily see what is happening inside the body without the need for invasive procedures. What is less well known is the ability to digitally store and share the results of diagnostic procedures. This increases the ability to medical professionals to collaborate and decreases the time required to obtain testing results.
Today diagnostic images are captured digitally and stored in a picture archiving and communication system or PACS system. The system is designed to store all digitally captured images and to house associated patient data and reporting. The digital nature of today's diagnostic equipment eliminates the need to purchase or develop film. Everything is housed within a single digital system.
The PACS systems of many medical offices can be networked together via a radiology information system or a hospital information system. This creates a network that allows all medical professionals who are authorized to access the network to view digital images and the corresponding reports real time within the system. This means that a doctor's office is no longer waiting for a fax or phone call to have the results of a diagnostic test.
Because the information is available on the network, a doctor can refer a patient to another doctor without having to worry about sending records. All the necessary diagnostic records are instantly available to both doctors so long as both are on the network. This also means that if the patient needs to go to the hospital, the networked hospital will also have access to the patient's diagnostic history, making it far easier to treat a patient who unexpectedly is in the hospital for treatment.
This also means that if a patient is sent to different radiological providers, as long as all the offices' PACS systems are on the network, the information will automatically be uploaded to the network. This allows radiologists to compare current test results with past results when completing their reports. This also means that all the medical providers for the patient will have access to all the diagnostic results. Because everyone has access to the information, collaboration is naturally easier and requires significantly less effort, generally resulting in better outcomes for the patient.
There are some considerations when selecting a PACS system that all the medical offices need to consider. While it is not necessary for each to use the same PACS system, each office must use a system that is compatible with the network to be able to share information. In many communities the hospital sets the standard and all affiliated doctors utilize compatible systems. This means if the hospital changes system, it may force everyone else to change systems or may result in some offices being pushed off the network.
In communities with multiple hospitals, there can be more than one networking protocol. This can result in offices having to choose which hospital system they will be compatible with. This can lead to segmentation among medical professionals as a doctor is more likely to refer to someone who is on their network. As networking is becoming more common, there is a movement towards making the networking protocols more universal to eliminate incompatible systems. There is even a movement towards a universal standard and a nationwide network. While it is easy to see the benefits that networking would have to medical treatment, it also opens the system up to more security concerns. Many privacy advocates do not have a nationwide network of medical information citing privacy concerns.
