WINNEMUCCA - The digital revolution has come to Humboldt General Hospital's Radiology Department.
With the installation of a GE PACS system earlier this summer, physicians now have access to a patient's complete medical record along with the ability to review diagnostic reports and associated images - all of which improves patient care, according to HGH Radiology Manager Pamela Wickkiser.
"Humboldt General Hospital has embraced the most modern PACS technology, which will dramatically enhance our level of care and the overall service we provide," said Wickkiser.
"Fundamentally, this new system represents a revolutionary change in the way we practice radiology."
The web-based Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) will help
Humboldt General Hospital provide improved service to its patients and referring physicians by eliminating the need for traditional X-ray film.
This transition to all-digital workflow will enable radiologists to interpret diagnostic imaging studies digitally instead of using traditional film viewers, resulting in radiology results which are more readily available for review by referring physicians.
Wickkiser noted that today's modern imaging modalities, such as CT scanners, produce an enormous amount of data. In years past, standard radiology practice was to print, for example, CT exams to X-ray film. The stacks of films were then managed using film folders, file rooms and manual processes, such as hanging film on light boxes or film viewers.
In contrast, the latest scanners can produce thousands of images per study, which no longer makes it feasible to print and manage imaging studies using film.
"But now, our radiologists have immediate PACS access to patient images," said Wickkiser. "Our radiologists can then manipulate the images using the latest diagnostic techniques - including 3-D manipulation - and even compare previous studies with present ones at the time of diagnosis."
She continued, "That's simply not possible using film. By eliminating the numerous manual processes required with the handling of X-ray film, we will be more efficient overall, resulting in tangible benefits to our patients and their physicians."
Wickkiser said HGH patients will love the change as well. "They no longer have to carry around stacks and stacks of X-ray films from physician to physician," she said. Instead, patients will now be given CDs that include their imaging exams and reports complete with an auto-launching image viewer.
Referring physicians are alerted via e-mail when the results of their patient's examinations are available. Physicians also have secure access to all of their patients' imaging exams online - all from the convenience of a web-accessible desktop PC.
Additionally, the PACS system allows radiologists to describe their findings to referring physicians in a very sophisticated, yet easily understandable way, through carefully created key image collages that supplement and provide a visual explanation of the radiology report.
Those image collages may be printed by the referring physician along with the radiology report. The PACS tools of the radiologist are also the same tools for referring physicians, enabling referring physicians to digitally view imaging exams when consulting with radiologists, viewing exams at home or at the office and also during patient consultation.
Wickkiser said physicians have all given the new system a big thumbs up. "This conversion to a digital imaging workflow has already been very well received," she said. "We have physicians signing up all the time; it's been a real plus for us."
Humboldt General Hospital CEO Administrator Jim Parrish said by implementing the new PACS system, HGH continues to demonstrate its commitment to leading-edge health care technology, providing the ultimate in radiology services for referring physicians and the patients they serve.
"Our goal is complete satisfaction for both patients and physicians," he said. "We have been striving for many years to bring a new kind of professionalism, customer care and technology to our radiology department, and we feel like this is one of the last pieces in that puzzle."
Humboldt General Hospital's Radiology Department features eight modalities including MRI, CT Scan, X-Ray, Vascular Ultrasound, Obstetrical Ultrasound, Cardiac Ultrasound, Mammography and Bone Densitometry.
The department also recently added the iE33 cardiovascular ultrasound system from Philips Medical Systems, which delivers revolutionary performance with the latest breakthroughs in diagnostic capabilities, automated image optimization technologies and on-board quantification and measurement functionality to facilitate quicker, less costly diagnosis and treatment of heart disease.
The Radiology Department is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday; extended evening and Saturday appointments are also available upon request. For more information, please call (775) 623-5222, ext. 133.
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