CD and DVD burners are now ubiquitous in the medical imaging market and CDs have become a de facto solution to archiving and distributing medical images.

Integrated RIS/PACS is the hot ticket in radiology these days — driving better workflow, productivity, reporting and even billing.

No more missing films. No more empty file jackets. And no more wastedoffice space crammed full of x-ray films, folders, chemicals andprocessors.  And that’s just the icing on the cake: the overallimprovements in practice efficiencies and patient care, along with aquick return on investment are among the concrete benefits of adoptingan orthopedic picture archiving and communications system (PACS) tostore and retrieve digital x-ray images via a computed radiography (CR)system.

Southern Ohio Medical Center is a voice recognition success story. Thecenter’s interest in voice recognition technology dates back to 1995 aspart of a project to improve efficiency among radiologists and reducefinal report turnaround time. roject manager, RIS/PACS Administrator Howard Stewart, offers some pointers for his colleagues.

Select a vendor below for a complete line-up of product announcements at RSNA.DisplaysAdvantechNDS Surgical ImagingRichardson ElectronicsBarcoNEC Display SolutionsU.S. ElectronicsDouble Black ImagingPhilips Medical SystemsWide USAEizo Display TechnologiesPlanar Systems Matrox GraphicsQuest International 

Vendors at RSNA 2007 are rolling out a host of new features designed tostreamline radiology workflow. More are offering ER discrepancy toolsto help hospitals identify and manage mismatches between the initial ERand final radiology interpretations. Other features, such as instantreport alerts, boost communication with referring physicians toexpedite care and improve service. Visitors also can view an array ofdashboard tools. Some help facilities monitor and measure performance,while others enable PACS vendors to monitor the system and proactivelyidentify and manage problems.

Traditional storage methods have evolved. Data and image storagetechnology for the healthcare industry continues to improve, and thevendors at this year’s RSNA are releasing and showcasing the newcapabilities of the field. Protecting data in the face of a disasterremains a top concern while easing access to data through onlineservices provides flexibility.

As the demand for digital imaging grows, so too do expectations that display technology will keeps pushing the envelope. Vendors stepping up to the plate this year are offering bigger, brighter and sharper displays with more options and streamlined calibration and maintenance. The result, higher-resolution images allow for more accurate diagnostic information.Most companies are focused on clarifying the images through enhanced contrast and integration into DICOM systems. Panels with higher resolution and luminance, and more QA monitoring applications and online services are sure to take the spotlight at RSNA.