Bridging the analog-to-digital gap

A reoccurring issue bedeviling radiologists is the request to interpret the results of a patient’s imaging exam without access to that patient’s ancillary clinical information. In some instances, such as an emergency department stat trauma read, this situation cannot be avoided. However, much of the time the information is available, but is simply not in a format that can be easily accessed via PACS.

Faced with this challenge, a team of teleradiology-based developers has come up with a technology solution for this issue that only requires a working fax machine. Their DICOM fax adder (DFA) application, described in an article online before print in the Journal of Digital Imaging, allows for the direct faxing of paper-based clinical data directly into PACS.

The faxed data is automatically translated into DICOM format and appears on the radiologist’s workstation as another series belonging to the patient’s exam. Learn more about this novel solution.

In related news, for those of our readers trekking to Chicago for the annual RSNA meeting; be sure to check out our RSNA 360 preview for both RIS and PACS. The technical exhibit halls of McCormick Place that now stretch across to Lakeside Center this year will play host to a wide range of imaging informatics systems for a variety of clinical imaging specialties.

If you’re staying at home to mind the store during the conference, and are looking to bolster the PACS capabilities of your practice, please stop by our Healthcare Tech Guide. We have listings for vendors, systems, services and white papers for a variety of products spanning the healthcare environment.

In closing, if you have a comment or report to share about how you’ve solved the issue of bringing analog information onto your PACS, please contact me at the address below. I look forward to hearing from you.

Jonathan Batchelor, Web Editor
jbatchelor@trimedmedia.com