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