Dear PACS Insider,
Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) has generated excitement with its promise to improve the accuracy of breast cancer detection. But adopters of the technology need to be aware of a number of thorny image management challenges associated with the modality, according to imaging informatics expert Dr. David Clunie.
In this month's Insider Exclusive, Dr. Clunie delves into issues such as DBT's large file sizes and proprietary file formats. You can access the article before our regular members by clicking here.
In other featured stories, consultant Herman Oosterwijk of OTech provides a primer on a number of tools available to help imaging and IT professionals troubleshoot problems. Click here to learn more.
Vendor-neutral archives (VNAs) have been a popular topic in the PACS world lately, and they are the focus of part 2 of a two-part series on imaging interoperability from Ascendian Healthcare Consulting. In this article, authors Jonathan Shoemaker and Jef Williams explore the important factors that best leverage the functionality of a true VNA.
The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society held its 2013 annual meeting earlier this month, and AuntMinnie.com editors were on hand to report on the proceedings. In our coverage from the New Orleans conference, you can read about the legal issues engendered by the use of mobile devices in healthcare, and how cloud-based image sharing can overcome competitive barriers for the benefit of patients.
You can also learn how an online model can facilitate clinical user evaluation of enterprise image viewers, and how PACS will not remain a self-contained data silo.
Other articles in this issue of the PACS Insider cover how repeat imaging on transfer patients can be reduced by radiologist reporting of external images transferred with patients on CDs, how patient photos can be integrated in exams on PACS, and how a new telemedicine system leverages Microsoft technology to provide a range of teleradiology and telementoring capabilities.
We've also covered two new interesting software introductions: Web-based PACS research software developed by a team from Stanford University, and an app that delivers imaging consultations straight to smartphones.
Do you have an idea for a topic you'd like to see covered in the PACS Digital Community? As always, please feel free to drop me a line.
