Researchers studied the effects of PACS following implementation at Meir Medical Center, an 800-bed academic hospital and one of the largest institutions in the Israeli HMO Clalit Heath Services. Specifically, the team focused on evaluating how the technology enhances and facilitates communication between the in-hospital medical imaging and referring clinical departments, said presenter Dr. Gabriel Bartal of Meir Medical Center.
This research is a result of an ongoing collaboration between Clalit's imaging informatics department, the department of systems engineering at Tel Aviv College of Engineering, and the medical imaging department at Meir Medical Center.
Following PACS implementation, the researchers found a statistically significant increase in interaction with radiology department staff, provision of relevant information to radiologists, and appropriate selection of imaging studies. They also discovered a decline in redundant imaging study requests and a decrease in verbal consultations.
"A key to the success is the formation of an enhanced interface for collaboration between [radiologists and referring physicians]," Bartal said.
