Here are some important things to know about PACS.
1. Understanding PACS
PACS stands for picture archiving and communication system. It comprises a number of devices and systems that are used and have been developed in order to reduce the physical films generated by different imaging modalities. In simple words, PACS cloud system spares hospitals from using physical storage options and provides them with a cloud system where they can store all imaging data and also read data with DICOM viewer online.
2. Why PACS
There are a good number of benefits of PACS. Some medical experts believe if PACS is combined with RIS, there is a possibility that hospitals can reduce the cost and make storage more affordable. The use of PACS with other systems for imaging can help in reducing the costs of infrastructure and expenses to a considerable extent.
3. Flexibility with PACS
This is another benefit of PACS for the physicians that they can access data anywhere using DICOM viewer online or other resources. Even if the doctors are away from hospitals, they can access the data and will be able to use the cloud storage system. It has been reported that PACS also help in reducing carbon footprint. Fewer hardware and systems are needed with PACS that is a great thing when we talk about infrastructure.
4. Challenges with PACS
Though such cloud based systems are really good and reduce cost as well as hardware systems. However, adopting such systems is not really easy. The most important thing for cloud storage systems is strong and high bandwidth internet connection. Without stable internet connection, it is not easy to use such cloud storage.
Another challenge with it is that hospitals don’t use it for keeping the most important and sensitive patient data. Rather they use onsite storage systems. For medical images, surgery data and research data is stored in cloud systems. So the cloud systems need to be made securer and safer so that they can be used for important data.
5. Future Markets of PACS
The experts believe in future we will be able to use cloud services like PACS. Even they assert that PACS will be more popular and widely used in future due to better facilities and better internet connections. More hospitals tools will be compatible with PACS like RIS and others. So it is expected that in future the medical data will mostly be stored through PACS cloud services and other options.
6. Setting Expectations
It has been noticed the users or hospitals have high expectations with PACS and DICOM viewer online free. But it all depends on the internet connection. When you store your data in cloud service and the internet is too slow, you will be frustrated even to not read the files or access them. That is a problem you should think about while setting expectations.
7. Data Migration
This is another important thing user should know when they switch to PACS cloud system. If you have stored data somewhere else before the cloud service and want it to be available in PACS, you can do so. All of your previous data will be migrated to the new cloud system where you can access it anywhere.
