Health Imaging & IT – Integrating RIS/PACS for the Enterprise - (Page 7)

emorial Sloan-Kettering aims to streamline RIS/PACS processes with the implementation of an integrated GE Healthcare Centricity RIS/PACS. “RIS and PACS were developed independently, but it is important to bring the two systems together,” says Peter Kijewski, PhD, attending physicist and PACS project director. The integrated model can bring significant IT efficiencies including streamlined support and reduced costs. The cancer center first considered replacing its RIS with an integrated model in 2002, but decided to put the project on hold because the desirable information systems did not offer synergy with Centricity PACS at the time. Fast forward to 2006. GE acquired IDX Systems Corporation. Centricity RIS-IC offered synergy and integration with Centricity PACS, and Memorial Sloan-Kettering decided to deploy the new RIS. The goal is to merge all functional components into a single system, including embedded voice recognition to minimize the requirements for moving data between systems and interfacing various systems. The implementation is a work in progress, but ideally, RIS-driven workflow will direct the navigation and events within the system. M an It boon cation. It requires three distinct onsite production servers in the computer room and then an additional three mirrored servers for business continuity at the offsite location. IT also requires test systems. PACS needs three test systems: a test system for current production, a test system for the next software upgrade and a test system for a planned major forklift upgrade for improved capacity and compatibility with RIS/ PACS. An integrated RIS/PACS/voice solution streamlines the server burden and frees up real estate in the computer room. The new configuration should streamline image retrieval, too. As a dedicated oncology hospital, Memorial Sloan-Kettering physicians are heavy users of prior studies. The center also adds patient studies acquired at other locations to its PACS and ensures that all current and previous images are online and available. “Memorial Sloan-Kettering is a major tertiary institution The new integrated RIS/PACS is expected to deliver significant benefits at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. All users benefit from the upgrade, but the primary payoff is in terms of IT infrastructure and support, says Kijewski. Peter Kijewski, Phd, attending physicist and PACS project director, “There will be one instance of each patient Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and exam, which means users won’t need to pass through multiple systems to complete a case. There will be one user interface for both RIS and PACS,” and therefore many patients present with outside studies their adds Kate Lynch, radiology IT & PACS manager. Currently, physicians wish to submit into PACS,” Lynch says. “Having a radiologists primarily interact with the PACS interface, viewcombined RIS/PACS will minimize much of the data duplicaing all reports and images in PACS and completing dictation tion and present a common view to the exam data that is lacking via a PACS-integrated, but separate, voice recognition system. today. Our RIS displays the submission date of the study, while An embedded dictation system with voice recognition will lead PACS displays the date/time stamp for the original acquisition. to improved workflow, enabling radiologists to access lab interThese contradictions can be confusing. If both times were availfaces to enhance the protocoling process and providing more able and labeled correctly in one system, it would be simpler.” flexible worklists. Technologists, who use both systems in their The integrated Centricity framework will level IT service and daily workflow, will no longer need to move between the RIS and support. “There is tremendous variability in service and support PACS to complete cases and verify images. from different radiology companies,” confirms Kijewski. Not all IT maintenance and support needs should drop with the streamvendors adhere to a well-structured support model that approprilined system, says Lynch, freeing staff to work on other projects. ately documents and records incidents or follows a clear escalaConsider, for example, business continuity. In the current environtion plan. “We’re trying to focus on a single vendor with good ment, IT must provide high availability and disaster recovery for support,” he says. Interoperability presents another area with room for improvethree distinct systems: RIS, PACS and voice recognition. “When the functions are integrated into a single system, we can transition ment. Every healthcare enterprise houses different technologies to a single support infrastructure for major radiology applications,” in its implementations; they all require reliable communication explains Kijewski. Take a look, too, at the center’s dictation appliamong systems. The problem, says Kijewski, is that systems are “RIS and PACS were developed independently, but it is important to bring the two systems together.” HealthImaging.com Integrating RIS/PACS for the Enterprise http://HealthImaging.com

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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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