Has the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) become a commodity?
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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Photoacoustic Cystography
Published on: June 11, 2013
James Chen1, John Bradshaw, Paul Nagy
1University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Abstract:
The Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) market has been transformed by disruptive innovations from the information technology industry. The cost of storage alone has dropped by a factor of 100 within the past 10 years. Improvements in display, processing, and networking have likewise enabled PACS to be a capable replacement for film. The maturity of PACS has permeated the US healthcare industry from large academic hospitals to small outpatient imaging centers. Can PACS continue to be a platform for innovation or has it become a commodity?
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