Converting to PACS isn’t easy, but an effective training program can make all the difference in easing the transition. At Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH) in Houston, a mandatory training program that utilized basic PACS training modules was a critical factor in the success and acceptance of digital image management.
"We have found that formal training in basic PACS terminology and operations is absolutely required for all personnel in the filmless diagnostic imaging department. This fundamental training is not provided by PACS vendors, and must be tailored to the individual institution’s structure and organization," said TCH’s Maria Elissa Elevado Blado, during a presentation at the 2003 Symposium for Computer Applications in Radiology (SCAR) meeting in Boston.
In 1996, TCH’s Edward B. Singleton Diagnostic Imaging Services began a five-year project to convert to filmless. During the process, TCH noticed that issues often came up between administrators, analysts, and users. And informal and incidental training for department staff proved largely ineffective, Blado said.
With the goal of providing PACS education and to help users integrate the technology into their work environment, the institution’s performance-improvement committee chose to design and implement a department-wide PACS training program.
Among the problems the committee identified were miscommunication between "those PACS people" and the end users. Inconsistent use of PACS terms added to the confusion and interfered with service operations, Blado said. In addition, PACS processes, protocols, and downtime procedures were inadequately documented, she said.
"You can pretty much gauge the frustration level of the users when the phrase ‘nobody can use PACS’ becomes a common phrase in the department," she said.
To address the problem, TCH developed and documented PACS-related tasks and also generated a list of PACS terms applicable to the department. All of these items were consolidated into PACS training modules, which were eventually incorporated into a PACS training manual. The modules included:
- Definition of PACS terms.
- A list of equipment and networks.
- Function of equipment and networks.
- Quality control of equipment.
- Service/problem solving.
- Flow, retrieval, and archive of images.
- Protocols.
- Downtime procedures.
- Communication.
TCH chose to implement a two-hour PACS training session, with the hope of facilitating better communication between PACS administrators and users, and to allow new and existing employees to bring back information from the sessions to their own areas, she said. The institution also hoped to improve the facility’s PACS performance.
Training manual, CE credit
Presented by the department’s application trainer, the two-hour training session features basic PACS knowledge applicable to the institution’s diagnostic imaging services, Blado said. All new and existing department employees must attend the session, where they receive their own copy of the PACS training manual as well as two Category A continuing education (CE) credits for attendance. A representative from the PACS team is present at every session.
The training session included events such as an ice breaker consisting of a short game of unscrambling of PACS terms, a 15-minute video based on the 1999 SCAR conference hosted by TCH, a pre-assessment quiz of the material, and discussion of the various modules of the manual. The session also features role-playing of the PACS help desk, with interaction between a PACS user and PACS analyst.
A short quiz was then given to evaluate what was learned from the training session, followed by a scavenger hunt that had users identifying PACS equipment located in their respective areas, Blado said.
The training program has been very successful, leading to less intimidation with respect to the PACS, Blado said. And even long-time PACS users have said that "they didn’t know PACS that well after all," she said. The manual has also proven to be a helpful resource as questions come up.
"Developing this training program has an immediate impact by defining and documenting local PACS procedures, by promoting a common vocabulary for better communications, and by creating a sense of ownership for your PACS system by everyone in the department, not just your PACS team," Blado said.
By Erik L. RidleyAuntMinnie.com staff writer
August 21, 2003
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