PACS

A New Generation: Filmless Radiology

The days of carrying oversized x-rays from one doctor's office to another are now a thing of the past. X-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, and other medical imaging tests are now stored, viewed, and retrieved digitally on computer screens at Valley Regional Hospital's Medical Imaging Department.

Valley Regional Hospital launched the Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) to its diagnostic center.

"This has revolutionized the way medicine is practiced at Valley Regional Hospital," said Charles Randall, Manager of the Medical Imaging Department at VRH.

The digital image is easier for a physician to analyze and review. A radiologist can zoom in on an image or view slices of a CT scan in a progressive sequence, allowing for a more thorough analysis than is possible with a typical film image. An average CT scan creates 600 images.

"It is almost like animation. We can scroll through slides one by one, or tile new test results with older test results to compare and contrast," said Mark Hansberry, MD, of Valley Radiology, a radiology group practice that staffs the Radiology Department at Valley Regional Hospital.

The ways that a physician can manipulate digital results make the process of reading and interpreting test results interactive. It will no longer be a matter of placing an x-ray onto a light box. Physicians will be able to zoom, rotate, and tile images on a computer screen, increasing their ability to detect abnormalities.

The advancement offers many practical applications for patients. Results will be read sooner by radiologists and sent faster to the physicians who ordered the tests. A Claremont resident, who spends half of the year in Florida, will be able to get test results from Valley Regional sent to a hospital or doctor in Florida in minutes via a secure network. It also allows for test results to be reviewed off-site by radiologists at night or over the weekends in emergencies.

Outside of the convenience and speed for patients, PACS will also save the hospital considerable time and money. Currently, test results have to be manually filed, stored, and retrieved, which takes time and space at the hospital. Valley Regional has four rooms devoted to storing results of x-rays, CT scans, and other tests. Digital storage and retrieval will reduce the time and space it takes to maintain patient records.