It would sound preposterous if it weren’t coming from the lips of one of radiology’s most respected information technology pioneers -- PACS could make radiologists obsolete.
Dear AuntMinnie Member,
It would sound preposterous if it weren’t coming from the lips of one of radiology’s most respected information technology pioneers -- PACS could make radiologists obsolete.
That’s the opinion of Dr. Paul Chang, chief of radiology informatics at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania. Chang issued a warning to radiologists -- change the way you practice imaging or PACS will change it for you -- in the closing address at the International Congress of Radiology in Montreal this week. AuntMinnie staff writer Eric Barnes was on hand to report for our PACS Digital Community.
As we all know, PACS makes medical images almost instantly ubiquitous throughout the healthcare enterprise. This is widely seen as a great benefit of the technology, but it is a double-edged sword -- radiologists no longer are the guardians of the secret knowledge that other physicians can only long for.
With PACS, referring physicians are getting access to images almost as quickly as radiologists do -- and are wondering why their reports don’t come just as fast. PACS even prompts many to consider doing the reading and billing themselves.
Fortunately, there is hope for radiologists. Chang outlines several steps that radiologists can take to ensure that they’re still relevant in the era of instant image access. Find out what they are by visiting our PACS Digital Community, at pacs.auntminnie.com.
