Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) are tools used in medical imaging which allow storing, viewing and sharing DICOM images of radiology studies.
For hospitals, clinics and similar institutions, having a PACS can mean a huge difference in terms of time, resources, and general workdays. This is because a PACS system can help to optimise the time physicians spend with each patient cases, it may increase quality in diagnostics and it can mean a significant drop in the costs of running a facility. In today’s reality, technology has made available several solutions, of which imaging centres, physicians and researchers can take advantage of.
Even though many healthcare institutions already have a PACS, several reasons may lead IT administrators to opt for a different solution. For example, a lot of institutions may have legacy picture archiving and communication systems which, to have an optimized workflow, must be replaced with solutions that are ready for current challenges.
However, purchasing decisions on what platform to choose from may be difficult to take. With this in mind, what kind of features and characteristics should be considered?
The importance of a Web solution
Web-based systems run within the Web environment, and having this as one of the main features of your institutions’ infrastructure can bring benefits both to your IT members and also radiologists.
First of all, a web-based application will allow an easier path to manage and update the software. If in the past these actions involved a lot of physical presence, now, with several 100% web-based applications for study management, it is easier and simpler to perform this independently of the distance.
Additionally, end-users of the PACS will also be blessed with the simplicity of a web-based viewer. With access being as easy as opening a web browser, working quality can be optimized and reviewing and sharing studies is a simple task.
Moreover, users should bear in mind that a web PACS is not only the one that you can open in a browser, but a PACS that allows you to open it easily in Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and also in different devices. This can be very important for several reasons. Some physicians may be more familiarised with a specific browser, or simply prefer one over another.
Besides, some other things may change. For instance, Google Chrome has announced that Flash would be completely removed towards the end of 2020. This means that most of the legacy systems may stop working. If you are choosing a web solution, be sure to check PACScenter, which will not be affected by this, since it is developed in HTML5 and is a pure Javascript script solution. It is ready for upcoming challenges.
Mobility – Teleradiology in action
Teleradiology gains importance in a world that is becoming more developed by the day. Now, people are all starting to work remotely, from wherever they are, which is not necessarily their regular workplace.
The single fact that now allows radiologists to work from anywhere is due to Picture Archiving and Communication Systems that support several devices and can be accessed from anywhere, and anytime, with the single mandatory condition being the availability of a Wi-Fi connection. PACScenter allows access from any device, whether it is a Mac, a Windows PC, a smartphone, tablet with iOS/iPadOS or Android, with native-like experience, including advanced diagnostic tools, reporting, sharing, pre-fetching and multi-monitor support. View our online demo to check all of its features.
Paperless/Filmless – Environmentally friendly PACS
Having an environmentally friendly PACS assures not only benefits for the environment when compared to traditional picture archiving and communication systems, but also translates to fewer costs for the organisation, more efficiency for medical doctors, for healthcare professionals and also for the patients.
In a paper-based health department, there will be wasted time with the handout of stacks of paper with patient information and the manual insertion of that information in a digital environment.
PACScenter has created new opportunities that help in this matter. For example, you can access a full patient history in a single place, which includes all previous medical imaging procedures. It is also allowing to easily share these results with a patient or with third-party healthcare institutions.
