Imaging informatics: Still strong after all these years

Lisa Fratt, Editor

Mark Twain famously quipped, “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” The same may be true of the RIS/PACS market on the cusp of 2011. For years, RIS/PACS has been pegged as a commodity, yet the imaging informatics field continues to innovate and display its relevance to the ever-evolving practice of radiology, as evidenced by both educational sessions and vendors’ offerings at the 97th Annual Meeting and Scientific Assembly  in Chicago Nov. 27 to Dec. 2.

Read on for Health Imaging’s picks for sessions in image management and informatics and be sure to subscribe to our monthly portal to stay on top of the latest news in image management and informatics.

RIS/PACS is not only central to radiology’s workflow, but also to workflow and patient care across the enterprise. While radiology can offer a template for success, simply replicating radiology workflow will not suffice across the enterprise. Paul J. Chang, MD, medical director, pathology informatics, University of Chicago, and a pair of experts delve into the nuances of ‘ology image management during a Dec. 2 enterprise imaging session.

And as images diffuse across the enterprise, viewing platforms?particularly mobile devices?are a top of the mind topic. For the latest in mobile device considerations, make time for the mobile computing devices session on Nov. 29.

Business analytics and dashboards are just beginning to demonstrate their power to provide insights and key data into the operations of radiology practices. Their utility hinges on RIS and, to a degree, PACS. Learn more about how to tap into these tools at “Practical Informatics for the Practicing Radiologist: Part One” on Nov. 28 or “Quality Improvement: Quality and Productivity Dashboards” on Nov. 29.

Other sessions tackle radiation dose monitoring, new tools for image sharing, image-enabled EMRs, structured reporting and much more. The common denominator among these and a host of other developments is RIS/PACS. While the market may be mature, vendors and researchers alike are demonstrating their abilities to tap into imaging informatics to address key challenges in radiology and across the enterprise.

Enjoy the show. Let us know what imaging informatics developments display the most potential to solve your needs. And be sure to subscribe to Health Imaging’s Image Management & Informatics monthly portal for the latest developments in this ever-evolving market.

Lisa Fratt, editor
lfratt@trimedmedia.com