PCMC has several radiology reading rooms, including two 2K workstations in what used to be the conventional plain film reading room, where two physicians interpret radiographic images. Ultrasound is also interpreted at that site. Two other reading rooms include one dedicated to nuclear medicine and CT, and another for MR interpretation, each with 1K monitors. Image throughput has increased from 49,000 studies before PACS in 1997 to approximately 63,000 in 2000.

Comments

"We're reading all of our imaging studies soft copy now. We read no hard-copy studies. In fact, we don't produce any hard-copy images, with the exception of studies that we send outside our system to hospitals who can't accept digital images. PACS has improved the efficiency of our radiologists by increasing our throughput, allowing us to read more studies more quickly, and decreasing the turnaround on the studies." -- Dr. Keith White, PCMC radiologist

"We've increased our workload by 25% with no increase in full-time employees. That in itself shows a lot of productivity. The radiology department attempts to have reports available within five hours." --Darin Day, PACS Administrator