Images Anywhere, Anytime: Web-based PACS & RIS/PACS

Beginning the PACS journey Throughout the late 1990s and first part of the 21st century, ROA experienced significant growth in patient volume and diagnostic imaging procedures. By 2003, the solution was clear. The practice needed to move from its comfortable, but aging, site to a new facility that could handle its burgeoning patient volume. ROA also realized that technology could solve many of the challenges encountered by growing orthopedic practices. That is, technology enables efficient, patient-centered, profitable outpatient medicine. Consequently, the practice designed the new facility to support solutions like Web-based PACS. Efficiency drove many building decisions, says Schreiner. ROA designed the new floor plan to require minimal footsteps between workflow processes. For example, rheumatology services are paired with joint replacement physicians so efficient consultations can be made between physicians. With sub-waiting rooms around various areas such as casting and diagnostic imaging, the front lobby became less congested. “We wanted to fly with instruments only, tracking our patients throughout the building without seeing them,” explains Schreiner. The EMR/PACS combination offered the desired bird’s eye view of patient flow. And as the physical layout minimized steps, the IT configuration also boosted efficiency. Each room was hard-wired with Gigabit Ethernet connections, and the clinic also deployed a wireless network to enable physicians to access patient data on tablet computers. As ROA wrapped up the facility plans, the physician partners shifted gears and began investigating digital image management systems. “We wanted a proven PACS platform that would allow a smooth deployment and provide very quick and reliable access to Mark Barba, MD, uses PACS monitors and templating screens in an examination room at Rockford Orthopedic Associates. Digital image Management Do’s & Don’ts 1. Don’t overbuy. “it’s easy to be swayed by bells and whistles,” shares Don schreiner, CeO of rockford Orthopedic associates (rOa). Determine the practice’s top priorities and use those to inform the decision. images,” says Barba. As he and his partners researched solutions and visited sites across the country, GE Centricity PACS Office-IW (then a product of Dynamic Imaging, IntegradWeb) continued to rise to the top of the pack. “The practices we visited reported a very positive experience with the system. Unlike other PACS under consideration, there were no complaints or problems,” says Barba. In addition, the Web-based PACS provided ROA an unexpected bonus. At the time, the physicians were not looking for a digital orthopedic templating solution; however, the PACS featured embedded orthopedic templating and surgical planning tools that delivered additional efficiency and patient care benefits, which really caught their attention. Digital image management in practice The ‘before’ snapshot of ROA barely resembles Centricity-enabled workflow. Like all orthopedic surgeons, ROA physicians are charged with heavy call responsibility. In the pre-PACS film world, call typically entailed physically traveling to the office to review films. “It was especially challenging on the weekends because the file room staff does not work on weekends. We had to find the right study in a room bursting with 25,000 x-rays,” recalls Barba. PACS workflow is quite different. The Web-based solution provides orthopedic surgeons with immediate, anytime/anywhere access to studies. No more weekend trips to the office for physicians who now have Web access to images and reports. The ability to review images at digital pace not only accelerates decision-making and patient care, but also mitigates the call burden. The solution carries additional clinical benefits. For example, although ROA employs multiple sub-specialists, it does not include an orthopedic oncologist. Using PACS, cases that require orthopedic oncology expertise can be emailed to a Chicago-based sub-specialist 2. Conversely, don’t underbuy, he says. the best solution meets the practice’s needs for the long haul. Most insiders can share a story or two of the penny-wise/pound-foolish practice that tried to save a few dollars on the initial investment. the bargain evaporates if the company goes out of business or if the system requires rapid replacement due to lack of features, flexibility, or scalability. 3. Make sure physicians can access digital studies at hospitals both on the floors and in the surgical suites. the benefits of digital image management are reduced if surgeons need to print films for each procedure or if physicians cannot view images anytime/anywhere. HealthImaging.com Images, Anywhere, Anytime: Web-Based PACS & RIS/PACS | Health Imaging & IT 15 http://HealthImaging.com

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Images Anywhere, Anytime: Web-based PACS & RIS/PACS Contents Why Web-based PACS Works for the Community Hospital Keeping Referrals Coming: Neuroradiology Group Reaps PACS Benefits Tracking Imaging Center Operations with Web-based RIS/PACS Teleradiology Group Shows Strong Growth Demands Strong PACS Replacement PACS: How to Plan, Purchase & Put It in Place PACS Optimizes Orthopedics Practice

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