CHAPTER 18
PACS Clinical Implementation, Acceptance, and Evaluation
The preceding chapters of this book are prerequisite knowledge for implementing PACS in the clinical environment. This chapter is on the implementation and deployment methodology, and the next chapter (Chapter 19) on clinical experience and lessons learned. Figure 18.1 (excerpted from Fig. 1.3) shows how this chapter relates to other chapters of Part III.
18.1 PLANNING TO INSTALL A PACS
Our philosophy of PACS design and implementation is that regardless of the scale of the PACS being planned, we should always leave room for future expansion, including integration with the enterprise PACS and ePR with image distribution. Thus, if the planning objective is to have a large-scale PACS now, the PACS architecture should allow for its future growth to an enterprise PACS with ePR image distribution features. On the other hand, if only a PACS module is being planned, consideration of the connectivity and compatibility of this module with future modules or a larger scale PACS is essential. The terms we discussed in previous chapters, namely open architecture, connectivity, standardization, portability, modularity, and IHE workflow profiles, should be included in the PACS design.
18.1.1 Cost Analysis
A frequent question asked is, When is a good time to change the film operation to a digital operation by implementing PACS as a clinical necessity and/or a business investment? Many radiology consulting firms nationwide provide ...
