Health Imaging & IT - December 2008 - (Page 28)

OrthoPACS: The Information Backbone of the Orthopedic Clinic the web version, there is no problem,” Kruc says. The DX workstation also can utilize the templating software, which is particularly beneficial for hip replacement reconstruction with just a few mouse clicks. “Within the OR, physicians have all the advantages of a PACS image. They can size and manipulate it. Some of our surgeons will make notes on the PACS, and then have those available in the OR when they view the image,” Bennett notes. “Also, an administrative advantage is that we used to have to shift the images around to wherever the physician was located, so that activity and those costs have gone away.” “We also have direct connections into the OR, so the doctors do not have to carry CDs,” Bennett explains. He notes that the biggest advantage is “the efficiency of having all the benefits of PACS in the operating room with all its functionalities.” However, if a physician needs to pull up an image from within the hospital system, which utilizes a different PACS, he or she “can simply switch over from within the OR. As a result, our doctors have become familiar with using many different PACS.” COG’s surgeons also access PACS images in the OR. However, Epperson says that because many of the physicians use wireless tablets in the office, they also save images on the tablet, and bring it the operating room for reference. The tablets can only be accessed through thumb-print recognition to ensure the safety of patient data. Remote PACS access is key for large groups as well as small. Julie Johnson, x-ray department manager of the Alabama Orthopedic Center in Birmingham, which sees about 190 patients daily, notes that remote PACS access is beneficial for their one-radiologist facility. Remote access guarantees that their one onsite radiologist, who often reads images from home, can access images or his replacement can read images from down the road in Montgomery, Ala. Aspyra’s Orthopedic PACS allows the radiologists to login and access images through a secure VPN, and any changes they make remotely are fully integrated into the system. PACS inhabits a specific, much-needed niche for the orthopedic clinic environment, Bennett says. He says PACS vendors in this space have a good understanding of imaging and IT connectivity and the needs for the current volume of images, as well as the needs for expanding volumes, as a clinic grows. Their support helps to keep the patient data backbone strong. HealthImaging.com 28 Health Imaging & IT | December 2008 http://www.dejarnette.com http://www.dejarnette.com http://www.HealthImaging.com

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Health Imaging & IT - December 2008 Table of Contents The Enterprise News Update Technology at Work: What You Need to Compete Why 1.5T MRI is Leading the Pack Workflow Strategies Aid Advanced Visualization Deployment Illuminating Reading Room Design for Better Reading Strategies Cardiac SPECT Sharpens its Focus OrthoPACS: The Information Backbone of the Orthopedic Clinic Imaging Tools Reader's Resource

Health Imaging & IT - December 2008

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