Dear PACS Insider,
Radiologic technologists working in a PACS environment often spend many hours a day at a PC or PACS monitor, increasing their risk for repetitive stress injuries. As a result, radiology departments need to pursue ergonomic policies to lower the risk of injuries, according to research presented at the recent American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) meeting in Boston.
Researchers from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston surveyed 128 radiologic technologists and found that 74% reported repetitive stress symptoms. The use of ergonomic chairs and workstations helped to relieve these symptoms in many of the respondents, however.
Our coverage of the ARRS talk is the subject of this month's Insider Exclusive, which you have access to before it is published for the rest of our AuntMinnie.com members. To learn more about repetitive stress injuries in technologists, click here.
In other coverage from the ARRS meeting, researchers found that using a Nintendo Wii remote during image review is another way of reducing the risk of repetitive stress injury, this time among radiologists. Also, listening to Baroque classical music may yield improved efficiency for radiologists. For our coverage of these presentations, click here.
In addition, the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise's (IHE) XDS-I integration profile is attracting attention as a means of dealing with the problem of managing patient CDs from outside institutions. For that article, click here.
You can also learn about a new software tool designed to help users find images in a PACS. Click here to read our coverage from staff writer Cynthia E. Keen.
Do you have a topic you'd like to see covered in your PACS Digital Community or are you interested in submitting an article to AuntMinnie.com? Please feel free to drop me a line.
