Integrating digital systems: commitment and collaboration

One year ago, the radiology department at Ball Memorial Hospital, a 350-bed facility in Muncie, IN, was completely film-based. The need to support a new all-digital, 35-room emergency department (ED) hastened the facility's transition to a digital environment. Today, with the exception of mammography, the hospital's imaging services are now digital. To develop and implement the project, the hospital formed an internal implementation team. An independent consultant was also hired to evaluate the impact of these new technologies and to provide an estimated cost payback. After research, site visits, and vendor demonstrations, the hospital selected a single vendor for its picture archiving and communication system (PACS), digital radiography (DR), computed radiography (CR), and overall project management. The DR system was installed in the ED to provide digital image capture for a full range of trauma exams. The ED also initially began utilizing a Web-based PACS distribution originally implemented for after-hours teleradiology. The majority of the hospital's imaging studies are captured with 2 multi-cassette CR systems that serve 7 exam rooms in the radiology department. The hospital also installed remote operations panels to expedite entry of patient and exam information. Technologists readily embraced both CR and DR systems. The Web distribution system now transmits images to hospital-based computers and to 150 remote referring physicians. The PACS platform automatically e-mails key images and radiology reports to referring physicians. Authorized physicians can also request reports and images on an as-needed basis. The PACS vendor had previously performed multiple integrations with the radiology information system (RIS) vendor; the integration of PACS and RIS was extremely smooth. One of the critical components of a successful conversion is experienced, dedicated management. The hospital retained professional project management services to facilitate implementation and to ensure adequate training for all users.     

Radiological reporting system developed with FileMaker-Pro: cooperation with HIS, RIS, and PACS

This article briefly describes our original radiological reporting system. This system was developed with the widely used database software FileMakerPro (ver 5.5). The reporting system can obtain information about patients and examinations from a radiology information system(RIS) by the Open DataBase Connectivity(ODBC) technique. By clicking the button on the reporting system, the corresponding DICOM images can be displayed on a picture archiving and communication system(PACS) workstation monitor. Reference images in JPEG format can be easily moved from PACS to the reporting system. Reports produced by the reporting system are distributed to the hospital information system(HIS) in Portable Document Format(PDF), through another web server. By utilizing the capacity of FileMakerPro, the human-machine interface of the system has been able to be improved easily. In addition, cooperation with HIS, RIS, and PACS could be constructed. Therefore, this original system would contribute to increasing the efficiency of radiological diagnosis.     

Wireless local area networking for linking a PC reporting system and PACS: clinical feasibility in emergency reporting.

Although local area networks (LANs) are commonplace in hospital-based radiology departments today, wireless LANs are still relatively unknown and untried. A linked wireless reporting system was developed to improve work throughput and efficiency. It allows radiologists, physicians, and technologists to review current radiology reports and images and instantly compare them with reports and images from previous examinations. This reporting system also facilitates creation of teaching files quickly, easily, and accurately. It consists of a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine 3.0-based picture archiving and communication system (PACS), a diagnostic report server, and portable laptop computers. The PACS interfaces with magnetic resonance imagers, computed tomographic scanners, and computed radiography equipment. The same kind of functionality is achievable with a wireless LAN as with a wired LAN, with comparable bandwidth but with less cabling infrastructure required. This wireless system is presently incorporated into the operations of the emergency and radiology departments, with future plans calling for applications in operating rooms, outpatient departments, all hospital wards, and intensive care units. No major problems have been encountered with the system, which is in constant use and appears to be quite successful.     

小型医学影像存储与传输系统的临床应用

目的 探索小型医学图像存档与通讯系统(minimizing picture archiving and communication system，mini—PACS)在实际工作中的应用，逐步实现科室内的无胶片化管理。方法 建立基于PC机的局域网，连接CT、MR、数字胃肠机、DSA、激光相机等医学影像设备，整合数字图像网络(digital imaging network，DIN)和医学图像诊断系统(medical diagnostic imaging system，MDIS)，组成放射科信息管理系统(radiology information system，RIS)。RIS系统通过其中1台安装双网卡的PC工作站与医院信息系统(hospital information system，HIS)相连。结果 系统在2年多的时间内得到连续使用，放射科信息管理系统得以实现和完善。在现有的数字化影像设备上实现了符合医学数字图像传输标准3．0(digital imaging communication in medicine，DICOM3．0)格式的图像采集、储存、传输、打印、浏览功能。图像和诊断报告信息通过Microsoft Access数据库管理，不同设备上保存的在线图像为3～6个月，所有图像用CD—R光盘刻录，作为离线永久保存，已有32700多份诊断报告存入数据库；HIS终端可有限制地从该系统获得图像和诊断信息。结论 mini—PACS系统投入和运行成本低、维护简单、性能可靠，可基本实现PACS的重要功能，在中、小医院具有良好的应用前景。     

PACS系统的应用体会

目的：介绍我院影像医学存档与通讯系统（ＰＡＣＳ）应用的经验。材料与方法：将所有Ｂ超、ＣＴ、Ｘ线机和一台ＩＢＭ服务器、四台奔腾Ⅱ档次的工作站及惠普光盘塔连接成医学数字影像传输（ＤＩＣＯＭ）网络;ＤＩＣＯＭ服务器与各种图像浏览终端羞以太网络;通过ＨＵＢ连接成ＰＡＣＳ系统。结果：将常规放射图像的模拟信号通过数字转换器转换为数字信号后,与ＣＴ等数字成像系统的数字信号一并输入光盘塔,并进行诊断。将数字图像和诊断报告一起舆到医院各个图像浏览终端,使其可通过ＷＥＢ界面系统及咨询平台进行查询。ＰＡＣＳ投入使用２年来,效果良好。结论：ＰＡＣＳ的应用明显提高了放射科及相关科室的工作效率,方便了工作、教学、科研和会诊。     

PACS sans RIS

Sutter Gould Medical Foundation (SGMF) is a multi-specialty physician practice located in Modesto, CA, and is an affiliate of Sutter Health. In May 2003, SGMF embarked on the journey to install a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) in the main facility. Unique to the project was bringing the PACS live sans (from the French "without") a radiology information system (RIS) and having the PACS driven by an electronic medical record (EMR). Other challenges were present in terms of interfaces for the dictation system, delivering images to the providers on their desktop, and mimicking the referring providers workflow as much as possible in the digital environment to which they were accustomed in the "paper and film" environment.     

An ultrafast network for communication of radiologic images

The three most difficult problems in making picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) a clinical reality in radiology are image archiving, very high-resolution display stations, and high-speed networking. This article considers high-speed image transmission through a high-capacity network. Our laboratory has tested several commercially available high-speed networks over the past year. Only one of these networks (UltraNet) has adequate throughput and capacity potential necessary for our PACS. The focus of this experiment is to determine the throughput and capacity characteristics of this star topology networking scheme as they relate to the operation of a PACS in the clinical environment. A large-scale test was done to gauge network performance for three networking configurations modeling those in a PACS: duplex, parallel, and relay. Ten computers used in our PACS (Sun 3 and 4 computers) were connected with UltraNet. For point-to-point throughput (half-duplex model), the network delivers up to 3.1 megabytes/sec for Sun 3 computers and 6.8 megabytes/sec for the Sun Sparcserver 490. As regards capacity considerations (parallel model), five parallel image transfer processes generated a maximum of 13.9 megabytes/sec through the network. Only a slight degradation in individual process throughput was observed (1.4%). With regard to shared access to high-contention resources on the PACS network (e.g., archive servers), this network demonstrated equal sharing of server networking capacity between the various client computers. With the encouraging results of this experiment, we believe that the UltraNet network will be sufficient for the image communication requirements of our PACS. We are proceeding with the implementation of UltraNet as the high-speed backbone of our extended PACS network.     

图像存储与传输系统的总体设计与分步实施

目的 探讨在组建图像存储与传输系统（picture archiving and communication system,PACS)过程中的总体设计及如何进行具体每一步的实施方案。方法 把具有医学数学成像及通讯（digital imaging and communication in medicine,DICOM)标准接口或非DICOM标准接口的影像设备进行联网，制定资源共享、系统存储的解决方案，建立典型的医院放射科PACS系统，连接目前医院现有的设备，服务器采用Windows NT SQL Server 7.0组成，解决管理及存储问题，工作站基于浏览（WEB）方式访问，扩大客户端的使用权限（license)，数量为100个，磁盘阵列（RAID 5）在线存储3个月，线性磁带库（DLT)离线海量存储；扩展全院并解决放射学信息系统（radiology information systems,RIS)、PACS的数据共享连接；建立地区影像数据交换中心。结果 建立了典型的医院放射科PACS系统，连接了目前医院现有的设备，实现了放射科初步的无胶片化方式；将PACS扩展到了全院的临床科室、手术室、急诊室等，以及实现了和已有的医院信息系统（hospital information systems,HIS)、其他医院网络联网，建立起了影像数据中心；实现了和本地区其他医院及其他地区的影像数据中心的联网，使用起来较为得心应手，方便了医生，提高了工作效率。结论 实践证明，上述PACS的总体设计与分步实施方案是可行的、成功的。     

Integration of a multimedia teaching and reference database in a PACS environment.

In one radiology department, a computerized authoring and editing environment was developed and integrated with the picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) for creation of image-based electronic teaching files to replace a collection of printed film images. This multimedia database and authoring environment allows physicians to create reference databases for teaching and research directly from clinical cases being reviewed on PACS diagnostic workstations. The database engine allows users to generate stand-alone CD-ROMs (compact disks, read-only memory) and World Wide Web-based teaching files. The system is fully compliant with the Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standard and supports a large number of standard multimedia image file formats. The focus of the development was on convenience and ease of use of a generic system adaptable to all users. The software was integrated on the PACS workstations to allow users to add new cases to the database at any time and anywhere in the department. A pilot system was implemented in clinical operation, with a central server and several client units.     

The integration of medical images with the electronic patient record and their web-based distribution

Medical images are currently created digitally and stored in the radiology department's picture archiving and communication system. Reports are usually stored in the electronic patient record of other information systems, such as the radiology information system (RIS) and the hospital information system (HIS). But high-quality services can only be provided if electronic patient record data is integrated with digital images in picture archiving and communication systems. Clinicians should be able to access both systems' data in an integrated and consistent way as part of their regular working environment, whether HIS or RIS. Also, this system should allow for teleconferencing with other users, eg, for consultation with a specialist in the radiology department. This article describes a web-based solution that integrates the digital images of picture archiving and communication systems with electronic patient record/HIS/RIS data and has built-in teleconferencing functionality. This integration has been successfully tested using three different commercial RIS and HIS products.     

Radiology report turnaround: expectations and solutions

The ultimate work product of a radiology department is a finalized radiology report. Radiology stakeholders are now demanding faster report turnaround times (RTAT) and anything that delays delivery of the finalized report will undermine the value of a radiology department. Traditional reporting methods are inherently inefficient and the desire to deliver fast RTAT will always be challenged. It is only through the adoption of an integrated radiology information system (RIS)/picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and voice recognition (VR) system that RTAT can consistently meet stakeholder expectations. VR systems also offer the opportunity to create standardized, higher quality reports.     

Systems integration: requirements for a fully functioning electronic radiology department.

Disparate computer-based information systems such as hospital information systems (HIS), radiology information systems (RIS), and picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) have been introduced into radiology departments at various times to meet specific operational objectives. Typically, these systems are implemented without an integration strategy. Systems integration, which optimizes integrity of data and labor savings, can be achieved by two general approaches. The first links the HIS to the PACS; the second involves interlinking of the HIS, RIS, and PACS, with the RIS as the central controlling system. Standardization in hardware, operating systems, and data base formats--which will allow true integration--is being addressed nationally and worldwide. Operational issues to resolve include ways to increase network capacity, control of data flow, and strategies for dealing with downtime. In the future, systems integration will enable prefetching, two-way interfaces, interfaces with digital dictation systems, and improved linkages with external digital input devices.     

Making preliminary radiographic reports available to referring clinicians: current status

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate current practice regarding the release of resident's preliminary imaging reports to physicians providing clinical care to patients. The second objective was to evaluate compliance with the American College of Radiology (ACR) practice guidelines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: With the assistance of the Society of Chairman of Academic Radiology Departments (SCARD), a survey was sent to its members. This survey asked if members felt that residents' preliminary reports should be released to referring physicians. If yes, the survey requested information as to how this was done and the mechanism by which the referring physicians were informed that the report was preliminary. RESULTS: Twenty-eight surveys were completed. Twenty-five respondents felt that preliminary reports should always be made easily available to referring physicians; three did not. In 25 of 28 institutions, the referring clinicians can obtain preliminary information by talking to the trainee face-to-face or by phone. In 12 institutions, clinicians could obtain preliminary reports by phoning into the hospital dictation system and listening to the dictated report. Twenty-six of the 28 institutions permit referring clinicians to obtain preliminary reports by viewing/reading these reports in picture archiving and communication system (PACS) or hospital information system (HIS) systems, before they are finalized. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all academic radiology departments responding to this survey do make electronic trainee reports available to referring clinicians. Compliance with ACR guidelines is good, but not perfect. Most institutions no longer provide the ability to listen to the dictation.     

IT-Systeme in der Radiologie und IT-Systeme für den Radiologen

Radiology plays an important role in introduction and use of information technology (IT) systems in the daily clinical routine. The radiology information system (RIS) and picture archiving and communication system (PACS) are the main systems used in a digital radiology department. In this article the basic principles and functions of these systems and trends in development are described.     

HIS/RIS/PACS integration: getting to the gold standard

The technology for acquiring, storing, retrieving, displaying, and distributing images has advanced dramatically in recent years. The push is toward enterprise-wide image management solutions, where digital images from radiology, cardiology, and other "ologies" are seamlessly linked with information from clinical information systems and other databases, and they are accessed seamlessly from a single point of end-user interaction. The "gold standard" of system integration would provide the platform for improved workflow, patient throughput and patient safety, as well as decreased cost. Unfortunately, the gold standard remains elusive in most healthcare environments, even those with new systems. One of the earliest issues that plagued the progress of hospital information system/radiology information systems/picture archiving and communication systems (HIS/RIS/PACS) integration was a matter of language between Health Level-7 (HL7) and DICOM. This barrier was solved by the broker--a software and hardware device that accepts HL7 messages from the RIS then translates, or maps, the data to produce DICOM messages for transmission to the PACS. Technologist workflow requires patient and exam information from the RIS to flow to the modality. The broker provides support for this by taking advantage of the DICOM Modality Worklist (DMWL). Two primary problems are inherent in most brokered configurations. Workflow is driven by paper, and RIS information flows in 1 direction only, which leads to duplicative databases. Overcoming the limitations of HIS/RIS/PACS connectivity requires industry accepted communication protocols/rules. To facilitate this, the Integrating the Health Care Enterprise (IHE) initiative was developed. The goal of IHE is to provide end-users improved access to critical patient and clinical information across all systems within the healthcare delivery network. While the IHE initiative began to facilitate more efficient, predictable, and functional integration between disparate systems, vendors still had technology hurdles to overcome. System integration continues to be significantly hampered, not by technology limitations, but instead by business and political issues. In response to these challenges, several vendors have begun to offer consolidated RIS/PACS solutions and/or HIS/RIS/PACS solutions. Consequently, the prospect of the gold standard appears to be on the horizon. Single vendor consolidated systems are not, however, feasible for deployment in many healthcare organizations, and they are not necessarily the panacea.     

Effects of Changing the Reporting System from Decentralized/Modality-Based to Centralized/Subspecialized Radiology on Radiologists,Radiologic Technicians and Referring Physicians of a Multi-Center Radiology Network

Objectives:To determine the effects of reorganizing a radiology institute from decentralized/modality-based to centralized/subspecialized radiology on radiologists, radiologic technicians, and referring physicians at a multi-center radiology network.Material and Methods:In 2017/2018 our multi-center radiology network was changed from decentralized/modality-based to centralized/subspecialized reporting. A survey was conducted among radiologists, technicians and two groups of referring physicians (main hospital and non-main hospitals). The following items were tested: Overall satisfaction, perceived quality of radiological reports, subjective productivity/efficiency, confidence of radiologists in their subspecialty, availability of radiologists and turnaround time. Two of five answering options on a 5-point Likert scale were considered to represent agreement. The Mann-Whitney-U-test served for statistical analyses in agreement before and after reorganization in each group.Results:For radiologists, a significant difference was observed in perceived quality of radiological reports 42/46 (91.3%) compared to 51/52 (98.1%; p = 0.013).For technicians, no significant differences were observed. In the group of main hospital referring physicians, significant differences were observed in overall satisfaction 129/152 (84.9%) compared to 164/174 (94.3%; p < 0.001) and in perceived quality of radiological reports 125/148 (72.8%) compared to 157/170 (92.4%; p = 0.001). In the group of non-main hospital referring physicians no significant differences were observed.Conclusion:The reorganization resulted in a significantly higher perceived quality of radiological reports for the groups of radiologists and main hospital referring physicians besides overall satisfaction for main hospital referring physicians. Specialized main hospital referring physicians value reports of specialized radiology, whereas less specialized, non-main hospital referring physicians did not experience any significant effect.     

通过工作列表实现数字化网络各系统之间患者信息的一致性

目的 实现图像存储与传输系统(picture archiving and communication system，PACS)、放射学信息系统(radiology information systems，RIS)、影像设备之间患者检查信息的一致性。方法 我院引进GE Signa 1．5T磁共振、数字乳腺，Agfa数字X线摄影、计算机X线摄影及GE CT等数字化医学设备。GE PACS是英文系统，所以前期医院在未解决信息一致性时只通过PACS对检查影像进行保存，通过PACS系统中简单的信息管理工作，并没有真正意义上的worklist。2个月后，我院采用国际上先进的解决方法即通过医学数字成像及通讯(digital imaging and communication in medicine，DICOM)标准的工作列表(worklist)的方法实现信息的一致性。在RIS系统中将患者中文信息转换为英文信息，保存并为worklist提供患者的英文信息。结果 我院在集成PACS和RIS的2年多时间以来，通过worklist来保证RIS与影像设备患者检查信息的一致性，取得了非常好的效果。在所有诊断工作站上，诊断医生通过中文RIS系统，对病人的信息进行编辑、修改、产生。结论 通过worklist实现PACS、RIS、影像设备之间患者检查信息的一致性是可行的。     

PACS: use in routine operations

In the Department of Radiology at the University of Graz, parts of a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) are routinely used. The PACS includes 4 CT scanner, an evaluation console, an MR scanner, a diagnostic console with three monitors and an archive with two drives for optical disks. All the CT examinations are archived on optical disk. It is possible to store up to 26,000 images on one optical disk. The management of the archived images and the retrieval is done by a radiological information system (RIS). There are no problems with the transfer rates and network capacity. Failures that occur during the routine work may spread out and hamper the routine. Reporting on the diagnostic console is still not routinely accepted.