PACS vendors take over RSNA meeting

PACS vendors take over RSNA meeting

Anyone walking the exhibit hall at last month's Radiological Society of North America meeting didn't need to be told that PACS has arrived. Vendors who showed PACS or teleradiology products were among the largest exhibitors at the show, and even multimodality vendors devoted prime locations in their booths for their information technology efforts.

In fact, there was so much activity on the floor that we couldn't cover it all in our normal eight-page newsletter. So, in what will become a standard feature for PACS & Networking News, we've given you four pages of bonus coverage in the January issue.

One of the more interesting developments at the meeting was how much PACS and information technology has become an integral part of radiology. While advances in the traditional modalities continue to be of interest to radiologists and administrators, the current healthcare environment dictates the need for efficiency; prospective purchasers view PACS as an answer to this problem.

Of course, interest in PACS does not end with those tied to the specialty. Accordingly, the ability of PACS to provide images and reports to referring physicians and other clinicians outside the radiology department was on display in nearly every firm's booth. Also, vendors continue to grow their abilities to interface with RIS/HIS systems, opening the door for enterprise-wide integrated image and information management systems. Those that move quickly in this arena will secure a prominent position as the market begins its move towards this final frontier of PACS.

-Erik L. Ridley, Editor