Clinical and technical aspects of PACS in radiology and throughout the hospital

Image networking technology offers an important contribution to the need of healthcare with lower operating costs while improving efficiency. When applied to radiology, networking provides better utilisation of equipment, higher diagnostic quality and improved communication with other departments. Material savings (such as film) offer significant- potential for improving economics; a faster flow of information - from diagnosis to therapy - can have-a positive effect on staff productivity and even shorten the average patient's stay in the hospital. The paper describes clinical experience with the SIENET-PACS in the municipal Hospital of Krefeld where radiology has been fully digital for 16 months. All examinations with the exception of mammography are reported from high-quality monitors and stored in digital archives. Moreover, the benefits from PACS go beyond the radiology department, which distributes images, ideally together with a report, to clinical departments such as surgery, neurosurgery, cardiology, urology, intensive care, etc. In addition affiliated hospitals are connected via public lines to provide radiological expertise after hours and for expert consultation. From a technical point of view the SIENET-System is maleable to the needs of the user. One can start small, eg with a CTIMR-solution and expand whenever feasible. Multivendor connectivity is ensured through full conformity with DICOM.