Speaker: Have you waited a long time for X-rays or imaging results. That's because in the past film needed to be processed and then delivered to doctors so they could provide the results. But all that is changing with PACS - Picture Archiving and Communication System. Today X-rays, Ultra-sounds, CT scans and MRI's are going digital and being linked electronically with PACS, in hospitals across Canada. This has increased capacity by 25%, the equivalent of adding 500 Radiologists across the country, according to a new report by Canada Health Infoway.
Dr. David Vickar: PAC's has revolutionized diagnostic imaging and the ability for physicians to visualize and interpret images on their patients, is something that we can do much more efficiently now than we could in the past when we were using film.
Speaker: Once fully implemented across the country, it's estimated that PACS will save the system anywhere from $850 million to $1 billion a year, thanks to increased productivity, reduced patient transfers, duplicate exams and the elimination of film cost.
Dr. Charles Lo: It has streamlined the workflow by having the images developed and available to me immediately after the patient has been imaged by the technologist.
Speaker: With electronic files Radiologists can report much faster and consult with each other more easily over private secure networks, from hospitals, clinics, even from home.
Dr. Mike Silver: It's good to have the ability to sit out at a council, talk to another physician. Where both are looking at the exact image and at the exact same time, we can say slide number 37, look at the left kidney, what do you think about that? He looks at the same things, so there is no guess work you are doing. You are both looking at the same thing, and it's make a huge difference.
Speaker: Freed from the cumbersome task of handling film, Radiologists have reported dramatic increases in the number of cases they can report on.
Unidentified Male Speaker: Remarkable. There is no abdominal or pelvic lymph at Adenopathy.
Richard Alvarez: Well these tools make clinicians a lot more productive. In making them a lot more productive, it starts to really address the issue of a showing images on our Radiologist and some other specialists.
Speaker: With PACS, Canada Health Infoway projects that 79% of patient scans will be performed with digital diagnostic equipment by March 31,,2009. What does this mean for patients in our health care system?
Richard Alvarez: The benefits of the tools are really speeding access to care, cutting wait times of diagnostic in half and quite frankly improving the quality of care.
Unidentified Male Speaker: I think above all, it helps us give much better service to the health care industry in general and to the people of the country.
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