Every year health care professional's examine, diagnose, and treat hundreds if not thousands of patients. Many of these patients don't stick with the same doctor, or are referred to a specialist by their doctor. Because of this constant rotation of patients, doctors must keep medical records to make and informed and accurate diagnosis for each individual. As technology advances this record-keeping process is becoming easier.

Traditionally, a patient's record was written or typed on paper and stored in a folder. When anything new happened another piece of paper with the medical information was dated and slipped into the folder. When a patient moved to a new facility this information was often faxed or copied and sent over. Keeping paper records does work quite well, but it can be a time-consuming and sometimes confusing process to keep all of the files organized and up-to-date.

Many doctors and hospitals are beginning to let technology assist them in keeping accurate records by turning to electronic medical records. An EMR allows a doctor or doctors assistant to quickly input updated information into the computer and store it in the file. If it needs to be sent to another facility it can be sent through the internet, or printed out and faxed or mailed.

The most important thing is that a record is being kept, but the world is changing and technology is rapidly advancing. Most industries are using this to their advantage, and the medical industry is no different. They recognize the potential and are beginning to harness the benefits.



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A Picture Archive and Communication System for Radiologists, or RIS PACS is a vitally necessary tool for every oncology department today - and with the dramatic fall in the cost of computer hardware, there is no reason why every health care facility should not have one. Such PACS systems are based on the same personal computer technology with which you are already familiar - so there is no steep learning curve. If you are among the few who are not familiar with this remarkable technology, or are a physician in private practice or the administrator of a small hospital who has been reluctant to invest in a RIS PACS because of cost, read on.

Proven Technology

The one of the first PACS systems in the U.S. was the RIS PACS at the Ohio State University Medical Center Radiology Department back in 1991. Within a decade, the use of these workstations had eliminated the need for the use of expensive film and toxic developer chemicals in cumbersome labs. By 2001, the OSU Medical Center was realizing cost savings of over a million dollars a year through the employment of its RIS PACS.

It was more than dollars that the Center has saved; PACS systems have also saved nearly 7,000 physician work-hours per year. Using PACS workstations, physicians were able to reduce the time between initial patient visit and case dictation to under three hours.

Affordable Technology

Back when the OSUMC installed its RIS PACS, this new technology cost several million dollars. However, the same trends that have forced down the cost of computer technology in general has also affected the cost of these systems; it is possible to outfit a small clinic with a RIS PACS, including workstations, for as little as $5000.

Many Choices

RIS PACS are manufactured by several companies, and each of these PACS systems offer different capabilities. Many PACS systems are upgradeable as well, so it is possible to start out small and add on as time and space permit. You owe it to yourself - and more importantly, to your patients - to learn more about today's cutting-edge yet affordable RIS PACS and how it can help your clinic to deliver better health care services more efficiently and less expensively than ever.



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A PACS viewer - which is essentially a basic PC with specialized software and a high-resolution monitor - allows any health care professional to view medical images made in a wide range of imaging modalities. No longer is it necessary to deal with complicated film developing equipment and expensive and toxic chemicals. Images made with MRI, EKG, EEG, CT, CAT scans or X-rays can be saved as digital images and studied with a PACS viewer.

Medical Imaging Enters the Digital Age

Picture Archive and Communications, or PACS systems, were first used at the Ohio State University Medical Center in 1991. At that time, PACS systems were quite expensive; only major hospitals could afford the mid-to-high six figure price tag of such systems. Nonetheless, over the ensuing decade, OSUMC PACS systems saved over $1 million dollars, thus paying for itself. In addition, it saved thousands of man-hours on the part of physicians, reducing the time between initial consultation and final dictation of a case to three hours.

PACS Workstations

Any personal computers that are tied into the hospital or clinic LAN can function as PACS workstations, provided that the correct software is installed and you have high-resolution monitors. Using a current PC as a PACS viewer saves money and makes better use of existing resources. PACS systems make it possible for any authorized person to view medical images on these PACS viewers; they can even be shared with colleagues anywhere in the world over the World Wide Web for purposes of consultation.

Multi-Functional

PACS systems do more than allow users to look at images; they are a complete integrated system for archival storage of all patient records as well patient scheduling, and most important of all, billing. At PACS workstations, clinic administrative personnel can accomplish many different tasks in one convenient place.

The PAC viewer is also suitable for all specialties and every area of medicine; PAC workstations for radiology, cardiology, mammography and even veterinary medicine. In short, the pacs viewer is for any hospital or clinic facility that wishes to deliver the best health care services at the lowest possible cost.



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