People outside the medical field might not understand a lot of the “shop talk” or medical lingo you hear if you work in radiology or another healthcare profession. PACS and RIS are jargons most radiologists and physicians are familiar with. Here is how PACS are related to radiology, as well as how radiologists, practitioners, hospitals, and their patients can benefit from PACS and RIS (Radiology Information Systems).
PACS Introduction
PACS may be unfamiliar to you, but what does it mean? In a nutshell, PACS is an image archiving and communication system. Previously, X-ray films were stored in film jackets, which were manually filed, retrieved and transported. With this new system, images and reports are stored electronically rather than in film jackets. For more information, visit sepstream.com.
Using PACS software in conjunction with RIS is beneficial
PACS software is of particular interest to radiologists.
- You will often see radiology PACS and RIS situated alongside each other.
- The radiology information system is used by radiologists to record patients’ radiology histories and to schedule appointments. PACS are, however, primarily used to store and retrieve images.
- The combined use of PACS and RIS software makes hospital radiology departments more efficient because images can be stored, retrieved, and transferred securely.
Other Benefits
The use of PACS in radiology has other advantages, such as:
- Digitally stored patient radiology reports enable the better organization of patient data. Using the software, physicians can access patient files without having to sift through piles of paperwork.
- Enhanced visualization of images – A variety of tools makes it easier to manipulate images in order to improve visualization A device for enlarging the vision electronically. Rotating images, such as that of tissues, organs, blood vessels and bones, can create 3D images. Thus, data can be analyzed and interpreted better.
- In addition, you save money by not having to print films. Utilizing software on a digital device, users have access to images and reports stored on the cloud. So you don’t have to spend money on film, ink or printing, so you save money. Further, you do not have to pay a staff member to provide these services.
Further Considerations and Benefits
- With PACS, you can store standard 2D images as well as 3D images.
- Consequently, you can reduce the number of duplicate images, improving data management.
- The history of a patient’s radiology can be viewed in chronological order.
- Surgeons who use PACS can see images before a patient enters a surgical room. They can thus improve patient care while accelerating workflow.
- Access to PACS is provided remotely. In this way, physicians in faraway geographical areas can access teleradiology data immediately.
Conclusion
- The advantages of PACS use should be known to other healthcare professionals, such as diagnosis, hospital administrators, and referring physicians.
- The purpose of a radiology PACS system is to store images both on a short-term and long-term basis.
- Using a radiology PACS system makes distributing, retrieving, and managing medical images much more efficient.
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