•Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) is an advanced technology which not only forms a “centralized repository for all imaging data” but also acquires and transmits the radiological images and its report to the physicians digitally, thus replacing the film-based radiological images i.e. hard copy replacement.
• PACS enables the image acquisition, storage, display of digital images and reports throughout the facility to many users simultaneously.
HISTORY OF PACS
•The principles of PACS were first discussed at meetings of radiologists in 1982.
•Cardiovascular radiologists DR. Andre Duerinckx reported in 1983.
•Various other people are also credited with the coinage of the term PACS.
•Later in 1990s DR. Harold Glass, a medical physicist secured UK Govt. funding and managed the project over many years which transformed Hammersmith Hospital in London as the first filmless hospital in the UK.
PACS – TYPES OF IMAGES
•Most PACSs handle images from various medical imaging modality, including ultrasound (US), magnetic resonance (MR), positron emission tomography (PET), computed tomography (CT), endoscopy (ES), mammograms (MG), Digital radiography (DR), computed radiography (CR)etc.
•Additional types of image formats are always being added. Clinical areas beyond radiology; cardiology, oncology, gastroenterology and even the laboratory are creating medical images that can be incorporated into PACS.
PACS TEAM
•The member of PACS include-
- PACS Manager
- Medical Physicist
- Radiologist
- Department Administrator
- RIS/HIS/IT Department Representative
- Clinicians
- Senior Management.
ROLE OF PACS
•Remote access-PACS usage includes increased communication between the radiologist and the referring physician, decrease in instances of missing images, provide internal and external members easy access to images, and make all the departments more efficient and even it enables practitioners in different physical locations to access the same information simultaneously for teleradiology.
•Electronic image integration platform: PACS provides the electronic platform for radiology images interfacing with other medical automation systems such as Hospital Information System(HIS), Electronic Medical Record (EMR), and Radiology Information System (RIS). Digital images viewed on monitors in conjunction with Clinical details.
•Radiology workflow management-PACS is a cost-effective technology as it reduces expenditure related to film, chemicals, film processors, physical storage space, and the manpower needed in traditional film based environments.
Main aim :
- EFFICIENCY OF DATA MANAGEMENT
- Providing efficient patient care
It is a family of products for:
- Digitizing (computerizing) medical images.
- Displaying and manipulating medical images.
- Transferring medical images within the hospital area or to other locations.
- Permanently archiving medical images.
TYPES OF PACS
•Full-PACS : PACS system where all imaging modalities in radiology are connected to the PACS system, with the advanced software.
•Mini-PACS : PACS system which have limited software for manipulation of the medical image.
WHY DO WE NEED PACS ?
- Easy comparison of patients current and historical examinations
- Comparison of different examination techniques used for imaging the same body part
- Simultaneous multilocation viewing of the same image
- Image retrieval is infinitely quicker
- Allows numerous post-processing soft-copy manipulation
- Images are automatically chronologically ordered
- No image can be lost / misfiled
- No patient is re-irradiated
- Introduction of teleradiology over a wide area network
- Some direct cost savings Time saving for non-radiological clinicians
