The Workflow of PACS

September 8, 2011 – Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) is a method of storing medical images on the internet, allowing instantaneous access from various places, effectively supporting a workflow between departments and experts that promotes maximum efficiency. This architecture is vital in the fast pace, need-to-know environment that categorizes the most effective hospitals in the world. It is achieved through a streamlined effort designed for maximum throughput and productivity.

PACS begins with the images. These images are various modalities, including CT scans, MRI scans, PET scans, endoscopies, ultrasounds, mammograms, and digital and computed radiology. The vast array of pictorial data must be stored and readied for access by various departments and experts. Before they are stored, however, they are usually sent to a quality assurance workstation where they are checked for patient demographics and other potential problems.

If the images clear this checkpoint then they are relayed to a central storage facility to be archived for future reference. If other data is attached to the images, the central storage facility will often forward that information to the places where it is needed. The data and images are accessed on an as needed basis at the reading workstations. These consoles are the point at which the experts can download and study the images, along with the measurement data.

Not only do the reading workstations provide a medium through which the specialist can study and diagnose the potential disease, there is generally a software package attached to the stations that allow the medical professional to dictate a final report on the spot. This feature is optional but can be potentially invaluable, permitting the data to reside together in a single location for immediate use and instant evaluation. Also, a CD/DVD burner may be installed so that the physician can make instant copies of the necessary images in a report for other physicians or for the patient.

This workflow greatly enhances the team-like environment that should exist within the medical community, reducing lag time and error. As such technologies develop, the process of diagnosing and treating patients can only become more efficient and more effective.

 

 

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