Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Is it time to take the "A" -- archive -- out of PACS? Some imaging facilities are doing just that by deploying a deconstructed PACS architecture that gives more control to the vendor-neutral archive (VNA) rather than the archive provided by their PACS vendor.
In a talk at last week's Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) meeting, Bob Coleman from MaineHealth described how his health network is transitioning into an "archiveless" PACS model in which the VNA takes over the functionality traditionally handled by the PACS.
MaineHealth has discovered a number of benefits to the approach. Find out what they are by clicking here.
More SIIM news
In other news from SIIM, click here for tips on how to implement a VNA such that it will grow with technology changes in the future. And check out this article on how many younger radiologists would prefer radiology workstations that have more monitors, while older radiologists seem to be happy with their current setup.
These articles and other coverage of SIIM 2016 are available in our Imaging Informatics Community, at informatics.auntminnie.com.
CT's Tower of Babel
Iterative reconstruction has been one of the success stories in CT, enabling facilities to perform diagnostic-quality scans with sharply lower radiation dose. But is the proliferation of different iterative reconstruction protocols resulting in a Tower of Babel for users who want to compare images acquired with different techniques?
Fortunately, researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a protocol that can minimize differences between scans, making it easier to compare current and prior CT studies. Find out how it works by clicking here.
Also in our CT Community, check out this article on how individuals with nonsolid nodules detected on CT lung cancer screening can be followed with annual low-dose CT rather than undergoing biopsy or surgery.
These stories and more are available in our CT Community at ct.auntminnie.com.
