Dear AuntMinnie.com Member,
So you've taken the plunge and implemented PACS at your institution. Are you still using paper for things like imaging requisition forms? If so you may not be getting the full benefit that digital technologies can bring to radiology operations.
That's the verdict of PACS pioneer Dr. Paul Chang of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Chang believes that implementing filmless imaging is only part of the cost-efficiency equation, according to an article by staff writer Erik L. Ridley in our PACS Digital Community.
Radiology's historical workflow model is based on the delivery of film and paper. Imaging facilities that have adopted PACS are already working on changing their workflow model for images, but many still rely on archaic paper-based methods for information exchange.
At UPMC, technologist and radiologist workflow had to be completely re-engineered, with new applications developed to perform tasks that previously had been addressed adequately by paper.
Sound like a hassle? Maybe it is, but UPMC found that paperless requisition automation improved throughput -- on top of the efficiencies already achieved from PACS. Find out how they did it by clicking here, or by visiting the PACS Digital Community at pacs.auntminnie.com.
