SuperPACS To Integrate Multivendor Multisite PACS into Enterprise Solution

New architecture has been designed to help healthcare providers to streamline workflow using existing picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) resources, since it will enable the sharing of patient images and information, while also providing a global worklist that balances exam reading among on-site and off-site radiologists. The SuperPACS Architecture, currently a work-in-progress, will be available for order in the second quarter of 2009.

Carestream Health, Inc. (Rochester, NY, USA) is reviewing as a work in progress the first-ever SuperPACS Architecture at the World of Health IT [Information Technology] event, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in November 2008. The system is designed to integrate multivendor, multisite PACS into an efficient enterprise solution.

"Healthcare providers around the world need the ability to manage disparate radiology solutions at multiple locations without replacing existing RIS [radiology information system]/PACS systems," explained Diana L.Nole, president, Digital Medical Solutions, Carestream Health. "This new infrastructure will enable healthcare facilities to share patient information and enhance collaboration among clinicians. Ultimately, this platform is intended to help improve the quality of patient care while simultaneously boosting productivity and resource utilization."

The new SuperPACS Architecture communicates with legacy systems to drive greater productivity and efficiency through its ability to: (1) create a common global worklist and apply intelligent rules to balance workload so that exams captured throughout the enterprise can be read by radiologists in any on-site or off-site location; (2) define the global worklist to include routing to specialists; (3) support multiple patient identification numbers using IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise) profiles; (4) share patient information and images securely between all locations; and, lastly, (5) equip radiologists with a unified set of powerful diagnostic tools.

This architecture is also designed to reduce expenses by maintaining use of existing PACS and storage devices and allowing for consolidation of resources. As part of its workflow grid, the new architecture can synchronize disparate PACS. Images and reports are automatically sent back to the original PACS or RIS for local storage and distribution.

The Super PACS Architecture is expected to be implemented by hospitals and healthcare enterprises, regional health networks, single or multi-site imaging centers, reading groups, and teleradiology services.

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