HIS/RIS contribution to image diagnosis and maximization of efficacy of PACS when coupled with HIS/RIS

Picture, archiving and communication system in the Italian NHS: a primer on diffusion and evaluation analysis

This contribution focuses on picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) in the Italian National Healthcare System (NHS). It finally aims to test the Chiefs Radiology Department's perceptions about PACS along the main evaluation dimensions emerging from the literature. First, a brief review of the main literature concerning PACS evaluation leads the authors to classify the different approaches undertaken and highlight the main variables of investigation. Second, the evidence emerging from a survey is presented and discussed in the light of the literature review. The survey aims to: (a) map out the degree of PACSs diffusion and their main features in the Italian NHS; (b) verify whether and how PACS impact the dimensions analyzed in many evaluation studies carried out to date; (c) test the relationship between some measured impacts and specific PACS features.

O3-DPACS Open-Source Image-Data Manager/Archiver and HDW2 Image-Data Display: an IHE-compliant project pushing the e-health integration in the world

After many years of study, development and experimentation of open PACS and Image workstation solutions including management of medical data and signals (DPACS project), the research and development at the University of Trieste have recently been directed towards Java-based, IHE compliant and multi-purpose servers and clients. In this paper an original Image-Data Manager/Archiver (O3-DPACS) and a universal Image-Data Display (HDW2) are described. O3-DPACS is also part of a new project called Open Three (O3) Consortium, promoting Open Source adoption in e-health at European and world-wide levels. This project aims to give a contribution to the development of e-health through the study of Healthcare Information Systems and the contemporary proposal of new concepts, designs and solutions for the management of health data in an integrated environment: hospitals, Regional Health Information Organizations and citizens (home-care, mobile-care and ambient assisted living).

Control method for preloading with priority information in an integrated radiology information system/picture archiving and communication system

More than 10 years has passed since the concept of picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) was first proposed. A great deal of effort has been expended to make PACS suitable for routine use in clinical settings, but only a few systems are currently used in this manner. A major reason is the lack of the assurance of throughput equivalent to that of a conventional system based on order sheets and analog films. In this report, two techniques to increase throughput have been introduced and studied. The first is the preloading of data elements from the various information systems and the PACS. The second is the use of the priority information to rank order the examinations placed on the list for interpretation. We have applied these techniques to an actual system and have measured the distribution of time for processing examinations. These two techniques appear to make PACS useful in routine practice because most of the urgent cases were interpreted within the target time of 40 minutes.