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Children's hospitals and PACS: six profiles of planning and implementation
1i.t. Communications, Santa Fe, NM, USA.
Insights
Six pediatric hospitals are implementing Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and teleradiology. These systems aim to improve efficiency and patient care in pediatric imaging departments.
Area of Science:
- Medical Imaging Informatics
- Healthcare Information Technology
Background:
- Pediatric hospitals face unique challenges in adopting advanced imaging technologies.
- The integration of Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) and teleradiology is crucial for modern pediatric healthcare.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the current status and implementation of PACS in pediatric hospitals.
- To identify challenges and successes in integrating teleradiology and electronic imaging systems.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative interviews with key personnel at six pediatric hospitals.
- Analysis of historical implementation data and future plans for PACS and teleradiology.
Main Results:
- Hospitals have varying timelines for PACS implementation, with some dating back to the early 1990s.
- Challenges include merging incompatible systems after hospital mergers and integrating new modalities.
- Successful implementations demonstrate improved physician efficiency and patient relations.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric hospitals are actively adopting PACS and teleradiology, with ongoing efforts to overcome integration challenges.
- Strategic planning and dedicated administration are key to successful PACS implementation in pediatric settings.
Abstract:
Six pediatric hospitals were interviewed at length about the status of PACS in their facilities. Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio entered electronic imaging communications in 1993. Several nearby clinics were connected through teleradiology and by 1998, the radiology department had developed a business plan for the implementation of PACS. Two hospitals in Atlanta, Egleston Hospital and Scottish Rite Children's. Medical Center, merged in 1998 to become one entity with two medical campuses. They now treat 60 percent of Atlanta's pediatric patients. Merging incompatible systems has been the administrator's most immediate problem. One director of imaging services is responsible for the recently merged Mary Bridge Children's Hospital and Tacoma General Hospital, plus a network of clinics and medical facilities scatted throughout Tacoma and the South Puget Sound area in Washington state. A state-of-the-art mini-PACS and teleradiology system were implemented at Primary Children's Medical Center, Salt Lake City, in 1991. Over the years, it has added modalities into an electronic system that now results in significantly improved use of physicians' time and patient relations. St. Louis Children's Hospital, with both a director of radiology and a PACS administrator, has implemented teleradiology and an ultrasound mini-PACS, and has plans for an enterprise-wide PACS. Children's Hospital in Birmingham, Ala., a major trauma center, provides specialized pediatric care to nearly all 67 counties in Alabama. With a 20-year history of online computerization, it is now reengineering its emergency department and will implement CR there first.