The power of picture archiving and communication systems: strategic hospital considerations

As healthcare information becomes more digitized, hospitals are adopting critical diagnostic tools to improve patient care decisions, while reducing errors and increasing overall efficiency. According to Radiology (2000), 75 percent of the imaging procedures performed in 1995 used devices that were not available in 1970. Today, imaging applications continue to move from research and development into common use each year With regard to digital imaging, Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) perhaps have changed radiology more than any other application in the past few decades. Once regarded as "nice-to-have-but-too-expensive" devices, PACS are rapidly moving into the mainstream of "must-have" solutions for quality-conscious and forward-thinking hospital CEOs. However, before widespread implementation of PACS can occur, several critical factors should be taken into consideration.