| Just as the advent of regular postal deliveries | | | | down dramatically. Although PACS has been |
| changed communications drastically, so has the | | | | around for a while, it was typically only available to |
| use of the Internet and the World Wide Web. | | | | the largest hospitals and facilities because the cost |
| With the use of electronic communications, | | | | of the software and equipment were out of |
| including digital imagery and other types of data, | | | | reach for smaller facilities. Because all computer |
| communications are now much quicker and more | | | | technology has come down in price over the |
| cost effective. A web-based PACS brings this | | | | years, this has had an beneficial impact on the |
| type of lightning speed and ease of use to a | | | | cost of purchasing a PACS server and software. |
| medical facility as well. | | | | Another reason that medical offices are upgrading |
| PACS RIS are two related software and | | | | to PACS on the web is the speed it offers. It |
| hardware systems that are used on computers. | | | | was not that long ago that images were taken on |
| PACS means picture archiving and | | | | film, which then took time to be developed. After |
| communications system, and RIS stands for | | | | this, if a consultation was necessary, the films |
| radiology information system. The PACS RIS | | | | would have to be sent by postal mail to the |
| system may be a mini-PACS system format or it | | | | consulting physician. This was a very time |
| could be a web-based PACS. A PACS server and | | | | consuming process, but thankfully it can be |
| software system are known as a mini-PACS | | | | speeded up considerably with the use of the |
| when they are used to read only one type of | | | | Internet. Now digital medical images can be |
| image modality, such as mammograms, rather | | | | translated by the PACS server quickly using the |
| than digital images taken from multiple modalities. | | | | DICOM format, and those images can be sent in |
| PACS on the web uses secure transmission | | | | seconds rather than days to physicians located |
| provided by a secure socket layer or a virtual | | | | nearly anywhere in the world for consultations. |
| private network to allow transmission of digital | | | | This has also enabled better teaching experiences |
| medical images and other data over the Internet. | | | | for medical students, who can now be exposed |
| RIS takes radiology digital images and data and | | | | to a vast array of digital images via the Internet |
| allows that information to be stored, distributed, | | | | as well. |
| and archived. | | | | In order to save money and time, it makes sense |
| One reason why medical facilities, especially small | | | | to upgrade to a web-based PACS RIS or |
| and mid-sized ones, are switching to PACS on the | | | | mini-PACS system. |
| web is that in recent years the price has come | | | | |