How a Radiology PACS System Impacts Radiologists’ Decision Making.

A picture archiving and communications system, more commonly referred to as a radiology PACSsystem, is proving to be an invaluable tool in radiology practices. Studies show that a radiology PACS system impacts the quality of patient care by their radiologist and consulting physicians.

In a recent study, a group of radiologists were split into a control group that was given access to tools that required a standard Web browser. The experiment group was given access to the exact same tools, but through a radiology PACS system with a one-click launch feature and automated login. After five months, the groups switched platforms. The results of the study showed that the radiology PACS system with integrated decision support significantly improved usage rates.

Radiologists’ ability to offer quality care improves when there are decision support tools embedded with the workflow in the clinic, which is what they get with a radiology PACS system. Industry experts believe that PACS vendors and radiology IT departments need to work harder in this direction to embed more decision support tools.

Technologies surrounding radiology have grown far more complex, but allow for better image quality, which leads to better diagnosis and better patient care. There continue to be challenges in storing, displaying, sharing and archiving the electronic, digital images. Compliance issues are part of the problem, but integration between radiology PACS systems also offered their share of issues.

Simply throwing a radiology PACS system into the mix isn’t enough to truly improve decision making – radiology practices also need a comprehensive plan to manage the changes that are inherent with establishing a radiology PACS system. It’s a balance of quality, productivity and efficiency.

The technologies surrounding radiology have been nothing short of revolutionary. Take magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound, for example. These technologies have helped alter the playing ground. But with the introduction of PACS, most radiologists agree that it changed the landscape just as significantly.

What didn’t change was the professional role of radiologists. After the introduction of PACS, radiologists by and large agree that the core focus was still on reading images accurately. The diagnostic practice did change with the introduction of PACS and digital imagery. Radiologists have more options in manipulating the image when it is derived from new technologies tied to digital imagery rather than film. While the changes might take some adjustment time, the quality of the images and manipulative tools allowed for better decision-making.

OffSite Image Management answers many questions that can puzzle the radiology community. From vendor neutral archiving to data storage, PACS systems to health information exchange, OffSite recognizes the roadblocks and offers unique, open architecture designs that are customizable to the needs of any radiology practice. PACS systems through OffSite offer a turnkey solution. OffSite is a responsive company that can support your needs for years to come – whether it’s data storage or disaster recovery services – OffSite’s PACS systems have the features that help build successful businesses.