Task allocation chart: quality control of a picture archive and communication system (PACS)

With radiology departments moving into a digital environment, Quality Control (QC) has shifted from film processor monitoring, and film-screen contact tests to computed radiography (CR) calibrations, soft copy display evaluations, and thread test of the imaging chain and the supporting data flow. An analog QC plan encompasses each piece of equipment and everyone in radiology, from the radiologists providing image quality feedback and the technologists performing film processor checks, to the biomedical maintenance technicians calibrating exposure rooms, everyone has input to a good analog QC plan. The digital radiology environment is no different; it requires user and maintainer involvement at all levels. This paper will explain the Task Allocation Chart and how it fits into the QC, warranty, and maintenance continuum that must be in place for an effective installation, implementation, and operation of a PACS.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.