The role of the physicist in the planning and design of Digital Image Management Systems (PACS)

A Digital Image Management System encompasses all information related to Diagnostic or Therapeutic images used in a clinical setting. This includes the order entry process, movement of the order information to a Modality, image acquisition and processing, movement of the image data to an archive, movement of the images and order data to Radiologist and Clinician viewing stations, and reporting the interpretation of the images. Note that a Digital Image Management System includes more than just image storage and viewing inferred by the title Picture Archive and Communication System (PACS). Therefore when a Physicist is asked to consult in planning a PACS they should be thinking about the workflow and data required to produce the final product, i.e. the Radiologist Report with associated images, and so they are actually consulting on the implementation of a Digital Image Management System. The areas that a Physicist should provide information to a site when planning such systems include: 1. Digital image acquisition/modality options for each study, 2. Modality integration and testing, 3. Bandwidth and storage requirements, 4. Radiologist and clinician softcopy viewing requirements, 5. Digital imaging Quality Assessment (QA) protocols The needs in each of these areas relative to planning a Digital Image Management System will be reviewed with suggestions on further educational resources. Educational Objectives: 1. Understand the workflow and Modality requirements in a Digital Image Management System. 2. Understand softcopy reading requirements compared to film based and considering the increasing image size and volume. 3. Consider the QA needs and methodologies with digital imaging systems. © 2005, American Association of Physicists in Medicine. All rights reserved.