In the recent few years, we have noticed massive growth in the healthcare industry and the credit goes to the technological advancements that have been introduced to this sector. For almost every purpose, there are many options available when you want to buy equipment. While these equipment names can be very lengthy, most people prefer using acronyms to save time and remember the names of healthcare equipment.
As a professional radiologist, you can expect that there will be some terms that are specific to your practice in particular. These equipment are highly advanced machines and some of them even have the ability to process a large amount of data as compared to the traditional ones. The reason here is that some machines like x-rays, CAT scans, and other diagnostic equipment can store images and make them available to all interested professionals over the network. As a specialist in the industry, it is very important that you become familiar with the tools and software being used as you grow in your career. Using acronyms of some like DICOM or PACS can help speed up your communications. But this also creates a lot of confusion. So here we bring to you a detailed blog that puts light on the difference between PACS, RIS, and DICOM.
PACS
In the radiology industry, professionals are likely to store large sets of images and files in the routine course for better treatment of the patients. PACS, which stands for Picture Archive and Communication System, is one of the most advanced systems that are able to store standard 2D images along with 3D images.
Professionals in the radiology industry are using the mini PACS systems as well as PACS systems to store all the diagnostic imaging files. Once the files are stored, any member of the team or network can search through this information and then use them accordingly. It can easily store CAT scans, MRIs, and X-rays using local servers as well as the cloud computing platform.
The goal of integrating mini PACS into the practice is to help make it easier for the team to manage and access the images that are needed to monitor the status of a patient and understand the recovery process. In case you have been using a paper-based system and have been dealing with the hassle of managing files, then integrating mini PACS systems is the right choice to add more convenience to the process. Locating hard copies can be really tough, which is why using these PACS systems is the ideal pick. With these PACS systems, radiology practitioners can send these files to physicians for creating better treatment plans.
RIS
A Radiology Information System (RIS) is one of the most renowned and used software solutions that are capable of helping healthcare professionals with better tabs on each patient that is being treated. When you have specialized software that is designed for radiologists, it can be a great help for an easy and hassle-free tracking. In addition, the Radiology Information System also helps you combine medical reports along with images taken recently with the past ones to compare growth. Similarly, the system also allows them to share relevant information with consultants with their team members.
The best part about a good RIS system is that it comes with strong protections to ensure preventing unauthorized viewers and safeguard patient information. Working with the traditional paper-based radiology systems cannot allow healthcare professionals to compete with their counterparts, who make sound investments in the latest computer and software systems like Radiology Information System. A very important feature of these RIS systems is that they are capable of scheduling appointments much more safely and swiftly as compared to paper-based record keeping process.
You can also check if any patient is due to come in for an appointment as well as the overall growth or recovery process along with your bottom line. In absence of a RIS system, your team may spend a lot of time keeping a track of each patient’s progress. This makes the job much easier for the people who are tasked to generate reports on a regular basis.
For example, if someone in your team is designated to generate weekly reports on such topics as patient no-shows, this will be very easy for the team member with the help of a Radiologist Information System. Using a RIS is very helpful when you are planning to open a satellite office and would like to know which cities are home to your most remote patients.
DICOM
Even in this modern world, there are many organizations that are still getting without digital imaging, but their days are numbered. It is a fact that digital imaging is making its way to almost every healthcare practice and is a major beneficiary of modern software tools, standards, and protocols.
Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM), is a method that helps foster better collaboration between radiology professionals. This is an advanced technology that is capable to produce, store, share, display, send, query, process, retrieve and print medical images. In the modern days, DICOM has become a de-facto standard in the radiology industry. Without the involvement, if a DICOM system, it is likely that the team members will spend a lot more time completing routine tasks like comparing images from one scan date and one made six months earlier.
Final Words
The world is going digital and the involvement of advanced technology is helping healthcare professionals as well as radiologists to help with better treatment, only when the right system is used. The above-mentioned systems (RIS, DICOM, and PACS) need to be understood closely before making any final choice so that you can make the most of your decision in investing in a system. When you have a good understanding of these systems, you can make the right choice to have a system that fits best your requirements and healthcare services needs.
ALSO READ:
Can technology help to Maintain Social Distancing at Hospitals?
Key Trends In NFT Gaming To Watch Out For In 2023
