Health Imaging & IT – Integrating RIS/PACS for the Enterprise - (Page 3)

it easy for radiologists and specialists to discuss cases over the RIS-centric workflow was the vision phone and check on cases remotely, says Seymour Sprayregen, for Montefiore Medical Center back chief of radiology at the Moses Division. He cites a case where in 2003 when the facility purchased he signed in from home one night and reviewed the x-rays of a PACS. “We realized that a RIS-centric patient he had seen in the past. “It just so happens that it was a workflow was the only way to improve wrist x-ray which our resident had a question about a subtle fracworkflow and patient care,” says Mony Weschler, director for ancillary systure. I was able to help him interpret from home.” tems for Montefiore Medical Center. Amis says that these capabilities will allow Montefiore to reach its eventual goal of having imaging studies read from one central “A RIS-driven workflow is the gold standard for radiology location, rather than having a radiologist at each facility. departments,” he says, but it’s also spreading from radiology to other departments. Before RIS/PACS, Montefiore radiologists had to shift from PACS workstation to RIS workstation throughemergent or ongoing care out the day. “Now the radiologist sits at one workstation and can RIS/PACS helps with overall efficiency of the emergency departfocus purely on the tasks at hand,” Weschler says. “That elimiment as well. If a patient, for example, is a stroke code, instant notinates a lot of delays, and improves patient care and safety.” fication via PACS lets everyone know, says Jacqueline Bello, direcCombining the functions and toolsets of both RIS and PACS tor of neuroradiology and professor of clinical radiology. When a is the optimal goal, Weschler says. “Anyone who buys an independent RIS or PACS with no plans to make the two work together will end up very unhappy. It’s just not the right move.” You need one system that runs the workflow, runs the patients through the system and runs the images, he points out. “Only one vendor can create the homogeneous system that’s really required.” Weschler says the most notable benefit of an integrated RIS/PACS is the ability to link Montefiore’s 10 imaging facilities. Today, a patient can call to schedule a mammogram or any radiology procedure and, through centralized scheduling, get the first appointment available at one of the Montefiore facilities offering the study or find the earliest appointment close to home or work. “That has maximized the facilities’ use of imaging modalities and is basically providing better service for the community,” he says. A RIS-driven workflow continues to build on the success of PACS, maximizing radiologist productivity, Weschler says. Productivity has increased by 20 to 25 percent for each radiologist, says E. Stephen Amis, Jr., chairman RIS-driven workflow via GE Healthcare’s Centricity RIS/PACS at Montefiore Medical Center has enabled productivity of radiology. “We’re able to compare all of the boosts of 20 to 25 percent for each radiologist, as well as increasing image access efficiencies throughout the entire enterprise, including the group’s 10 outpatient imaging centers (inset). available old studies in a matter of seconds. This is the only way that radiology can ever be pracstroke code is happening, the questions that need quick answers are: ticed as we go forward.” Is there is a sizable defect on the CT scan? Is there blood involved in That productivity extends to referring physicians as well. The the infarct on the CT scan? Is there a density on a CT scan so that RIS/PACS has made it much more efficient and effective to comthe patient should move quickly to thrombolysis? municate with referring doctors, says Robert Berkenblit, MD, “We are answering them in real time and with instant notifiassistant professor of radiology and medical director of Montefiore Advanced Imaging’s Gun Hill Road location. cation on PACS,” Bello explains. “Everyone is quite literally on “If referring physicians have a simple question about the findthe same page as we make decisions on the fly. Time is not taken ings, I’m able to pull these reports up basically instantly.” With while people make road trips to go and review images with someBerkenblit at his workstation and the referring doctor at another, one who has to be called to a specific location.” “I’m able to point out subtle changes that I think are significant Having all current and prior results available is especially benand he’s able to appreciate that more by having the images in front eficial to Bello when she treats neurovascular patients. Neurovasof him.” That improved ability to interact with referring physicians cular disease is a recurrent problem, and requires ongoing trackhas let Berkenblit greatly improve his service to them, he says. ing of tumors of the central nervous system. “One of the great Imaging studies performed at any of the 10 Montefiore imagadvantages of the current system is to be able to load prior exams as well as to monitor current exams, while they’re being done ing centers are available to clinicians at any location. That makes A HealthImaging.com Integrating RIS/PACS for the Enterprise http://HealthImaging.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Health Imaging & IT – Integrating RIS/PACS for the Enterprise

Health Imaging & IT – Integrating RIS/PACS for the Enterprise Table of Contents Integrated RIS/PACS: Making Work Flow Singular Benefits: Integrated RIS/PACS Delivers Imaging Center Battle Strategies: Combating DRA Spurring Reading Efficiency in a Large Imaging Center Group Creating the Global Imaging Record RIS/PACS for the Community Hospital What’s the Best? Single Vendor vs. Best of Breed

Health Imaging & IT – Integrating RIS/PACS for the Enterprise

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