PACS and teleradiology in the Department of Defense

The US military, through the Medical Diagnostic Imaging Support (MDIS) system, is installing picture archival communications systems (PACS) and teleradiology at multiple medical treatment facilities throughout the USA and abroad. The goals are to improve patient care, maximize limited resources, and realize cost savings. This paper reviews early experience with clinical use of the MDIS PACS and teleradiology configurations. Emphasis is on lessons learned in the areas of image quality, speed of image transmission, communication between sites, and the advantages of the MDIS two-way teleradiology configuration. The data is accumulated from the combined experience of the authors at multiple sites within the continental US and Korea. >