PACS and digital imaging

Question 1

PACS systems

Answer 1

Picture archiving communication systems

Question 2

3 components of PACS

Answer 2

Storage
Distribution
Management

Question 3

PACs workflow

Answer 3

Order>Imaging>Reporting>Distribution

Question 4

PACS storage: resiliency

Answer 4

Resiliency is the ability to provide and maintain an acceptable level of service in the face of faults and challenges to normal operation

Question 5

PACS storage: redundnacy

Answer 5

Redundancy is the duplication of critical components or functions of a system with the intention of increasing reliability of the system

Question 6

Compression

Answer 6

LOSSLESS and LOSSY compression
LOSSLESS in most instances due to high quality of data needed to make medical diagnosis
LOSSY in some cases where the data quality is not so needed like ECHO or US

Question 7

Where we do access distributed images

Answer 7

We access these images on:
Radiologist workstation
PC/MAC with DICOM application

Question 8

What are standards in digital imaging needed for

Answer 8

Standards needed to ensure that there is interoperability between applications that want to use the same data

Question 9

DICOM

Answer 9

DICOM- Digital imaging and Communication in Medicine
main standard utilised in medical imaging
a DICOM file can only be viewed by specialist application e.g. PACS
DICOM groups data into attributes and datasets

Question 10

Advantages of PACS 6

Answer 10

allows more than one clinician to view the images
easy manipulation of images
user friendly software
intergration to other hospital solutions
efficient data management
improved productivity in reporting

Question 11

Disadvantages of pacs 5

Answer 11

expensive
administration staff to manage the solution
reliance on computer systems that may breakdown
costly to ensure business continuity in the event of a failure
time needed to train users

Question 12

Radiologist workstations

Answer 12

high specification PCs utilising medical grade graphics card to run high res monitors for the purpose of medical image diagnosis

Question 13

Monitor resolution

Answer 13

Must meet DICOM standard for image display

Question 14

Why is image sharing important?

Answer 14

Continuity of care
reduces necessity for duplicate examination therefore lower radiation dose to patients
allows patients to have copies of their images

Question 15

How is image sharing done?

Answer 15

Electronic methods: image exchange portal. dropbox, google drive etc

Question 16

Image exchange portal

Answer 16

From SECTRA
National sharing solution for radiology images and reports
100% of NHS institution

Question 17

Key benefits of Image exchange portal

Answer 17

Data is transferred to encrypted state from source to destination
Reduces necessity for duplicate examinations

Question 18

Disadvantages of image sharing

Answer 18

3rd party PACS for other hospitals

No updates to existing examinations if they are changed or altered

Question 19

Expectations of a radiographer

Answer 19

Check images have gone to PACS
use worklists wherever you can, not manually
raise issues or problems to PACS radiographer