| A Picture Archiving and Communications System | | | | internal (facility owned) PACS leverages a |
| (PACS) is integral to the smooth, timely, and | | | | common infrastructure for all the digital |
| quality delivery of health care in every | | | | imaging modalities and provides image storage |
| medical setting today. Not only are they | | | | and archiving....with recall as needed....for |
| integral but they are crucial to the clinical | | | | an entire medical facility or campus. By |
| and business aspects of radiology practice as | | | | instituting a web enabled distribution system |
| we know it. However, PACS have long faced | | | | a facility PACS is able to provide ready |
| challenges in delivering this digital imaging | | | | image access to the immediate radiology |
| support to such diagnostic modalities as | | | | department as well as the full range of |
| X-ray, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), | | | | clinicians and specialists, especially |
| magnetic resonance imaging [MRI], Positron | | | | surgeons and referring physicians. To |
| Emission Tomography (PET), and Teleradiology. | | | | ensure functionality at the high level |
| The main issue has always been the | | | | required means facing the heavy bandwidth |
| availability of sufficient bandwidth (load | | | | appetite of the modalities supported.Even an |
| and speed).....at a reasonable cost.....to | | | | Application Service Provider (ASP) company |
| support the growing demand for quick easy | | | | that hosts applications, manages them and |
| web-based access by medical providers. As | | | | rents access to images from a centrally |
| Medical Imagery becomes more and more | | | | managed facility is not immune to the |
| digitalized....with bandwidth improvements, | | | | bandwidth concern. ASP providers allow an |
| communication will be faster and easier, and | | | | institution to outsource information |
| it will be possible to transmit heavier | | | | technology applications infrastructure, |
| studies in less time and with high quality.An | | | | management, support and maintenance. |