Imaging (see more articles like this)

August, 2003 - Orlando, FL – A picture is worth a thousand words. And when it comes to medical pictures - specifically radiology images - pictures can be worth thousands of dollars and crucial, life saving minutes. For these reasons, the Florida Hospital family is proud to announce that 16 of the 17 hospitals in its network are now utilizing the innovative Picture Archival Communication System, or PACS.

This new System digitally captures radiology images, which means that they are saved, read, stored and transmitted electronically through the secure Florida Hospital network. It also offers the ability to manipulate images, such as zooming to a particular spot or making the image lighter or darker and adjusting the contrast to see finer detail, which in turn helps radiologists and physicians better assess patients’ images.

“Storing images on the computer is easier, less costly and there’s less risk of films getting lost,“ said Ed Majors, Florida Hospital’s Director of Special Imaging Services. “Plus, when patients need to take a copy of their  images to another doctor, we burn them on a CD or if the images are needed at another Florida Hospital facility, they can be accessed electronically. PACS offers an array of advantages which ultimately benefit patients and enhance the quality of care available at Florida Hospital.”
 
Prior to PACS, radiology departments relied on film to generate images for X-ray, Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Ultrasound, Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT), Nuclear Medicine and Angiography. This traditional, “hard copy” technique required film to be generated and stored for each patient. When physicians and radiologists needed to share films for consultations, it required physically transporting the film to the physician or making the physician travel to the film. PACS has dramatically improved this process taking all images to a “soft copy” format.

Physicians throughout the Florida Hospital network can now simultaneously view and discuss patient films with other physicians from their computers – whether it be in the hospital, at their private office, or at home. For example, a doctor in East Pasco can consult on a patient with a physician at Florida Hospital Celebration Health by simply turning on the computer.

“This technology is not only time-saving, it is life-saving,“ said Dr. Christopher Baker, Florida Hospital Neurosurgeon. “For example, if a patient has a CT taken near her home at Florida Hospital Apopka, but then she is brought into Florida Hospital Orlando because of an emergency, the emergency room physician can access the patient’s CT quickly and efficiently via PACS. In a neurosurgery case, these extra minutes could potentially save that patient’s life.”

Conducting approximately 1,300,000 radiological exams a year, Florida Hospital and AHS are one of the largest networks in the country to go filmless. Florida Hospital’s implementation of the PACS system started in 1998 with the opening of Florida Hospital Celebration Health. After receiving some necessary computer upgrades, Florida Hospital Fish Memorial will start utilizing the PACS system this summer making the entire Florida Hospital radiology network digital.

The software component of the filmless environment is provided the Agfa Corporation - a U.S. subsidiary of the Agfa Group, which ranks among the world’s leading imaging companies.  Agfa develops, manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems, intended mainly for the graphics industry, healthcare, non-destructive testing, micrographics, motion picture and photography markets.

For more information or for interview facilitation, please contact Florida Hospital Media Relations at (407) 303-1917.

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