PACS Bypass: A Semi-automated Routing Solution to Enable Filmless Operations When PACS Fails

Abstract

In the filmless imaging department, an integrated imaging and reporting system is only as strong as its weakest link. An outage or downtime of a key segment, such as the Picture Archive Communications System (PACS), is a significant threat to efficient workflow, quality of image interpretation, ordering clinician's review, and ultimately patient care. A multidisciplinary team (including physicists, technologists, radiologists, operations, and IT) developed a backup system to provide business continuity (i.e., quality control, interpretation, reporting, and clinician access) during an extended outage of the main departmental PACS.

Analyses of Budget Impact Considering the Use of the Picture Archiving and Communication System

“…acquisition of a computed radiography system [15]. In the scenario with high-cost PACS, two main factors stand out in comparison with the scenario with low-cost PACS.…”

Disaster Planning During SARS-CoV-2/COVID: One Radiology Informatics Team’s Story

“…These policies and procedures have variable levels of detail and are used to help guide radiology department staff when a system is not functioning to its desired state. Additionally, most hospitals have purchased and installed disaster recovery and business continuity solutions for their critical systems [8][9][10][11]. Unfortunately, unplanned system downtimes are a relatively frequent occurrence in many radiology departments.…”