The George Washington University Hospital offers some of the most technologically advanced patient care equipment in the country including a filmless picture archiving communication system (PACS). Manufactured by DR Systems, PACS is used with all imaging modalities including standard x-rays, CT, MRI, Ultrasound, and Nuclear Medicine and allows images to be distributed electronically and interpreted on computer workstations. The benefits of a PACS system are multifold; report turnaround time is reduced and patient care is improved, as physicians no longer need to wait for film images to be processed and then analyzed and/or delivered. These benefits are monumental for OR and ER cases, where immediate decisions are critical.
The anytime-anywhere access provides for ease of consultation between physicians who can instantly and simultaneously access images, reports, and audio report summaries throughout the hospital or in their office through a secure web server. The system can be configured to automatically acquire images, which become available in the patient's virtual folder in the PACS. Images are permanently stored at the hospital in a DVD jukebox, eliminating lost records. PACS can reduce or even abolish the use of films, resulting in cost savings. Finally, patients benefit because they no longer need to bring their x-rays to their physicians. For those situations where films are still needed, the hospital will have the ability to print images.
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