Consolidated imaging: Implementing a regional health information exchange system for radiology in Southern Maine
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Document Type
Book Chapter
Description
The traditional, film-based radiology system presents serious limitations for patient care. These include forcing clinicians to make decisions based on information that is often less than optimal and making transfers of films and prior studies to other facilities more complicated than they need to be. Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) address these issues by allowing for acquisition, storage, display, and communication (e.g., transportation) of images in a digital format. Although PACS has been shown to improve patient care, many rural health care organizations have found obtaining these systems cost-prohibitive. The Consolidating Imaging Initiative (CI-PACS) in Maine provides an alternative way to offer this technology to rural hospitals. Through CI-PACS, a tertiary care hospital and its health care system have implemented a shared, standards-based, interoperable PACS in two rural hospitals (one belonging to the larger health system and one not). In this article, we discuss how the regional system works, and how it will be sustained. We also highlight the unique challenges associated with implementing a regional system.
Publication Date
1-1-2008
Publisher
Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
City
Rockville, MD
Keywords
regional health, Picture Archiving and Communications Systems, PACS, Consolidating Imaging Initiative, radiology, Maine, interoperability
Recommended Citation
Loux, Stephanie, et al. "Consolidated imaging: Implementing a regional health information exchange system for radiology in Southern Maine." Advances in Patient Safety: New Directions and Alternative Approaches. Vol. 4. Technology and Medication Safety, edited by Kerm Henriksen, et al., Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, 2008, pp. 43-54.
