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As part of my education when I first entered the medical imaging market, I met with as many physicians as I could to understand how they used medical imaging in their practice. On one occasion, I met with a set of orthopedists just outside of Albany, New York. We were deep in a discussion about features, functions and frustrations, when one of the doctors turned to me and said, “Of course the most important thing about medical imaging is linking it to the rest of the patient health record.”

Doctors love their iPads and iPhones. In fact, more than half of the doctors surveyed in a recent Manhattan Research study report using a tablet regularly for professional purposes – especially in point of care situations involving patients. In total, 87% of doctors use a tablet or smart phone in the workplace. This naturally has many physicians asking, “How do I view medical images on my iPad or iPhone?” Well, the short answer is, "with a cloud PACS."

Photo Credit ACRIN/Hologic 

Currently, there are disagreements about the appropriate starting age and frequency of mammographic breast scans. However, due to recent governmental recommendations and reduced insurance reimbursement, the frequency of these radiologic visits will likely be delayed to once every two years. Concurrent with these new recommendations, advances in technology have emerged to supplement mammography to enhance the detection of breast tissue tumors without increasing the incidence of false positives. Both new technology and the likely increase in the span between imaging examinations pose challenges to your PACS.

Is your facility prepared to handle these coming changes in breast imaging? This post will help you navigate these issues and outline PACS requirements for Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT), 3D Mammography, MRI, and Molecular Breast Imaging (MBI) that you should consider. 

A recent study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology shows that early signs of breast cancer can be more easily detected when comparisons to prior mammograms are available. Comparing a current scan with a prior study enables radiologists to identify important changes that can indicate an irregularity, since what is normal varies on a patient-by-patient basis. The only way, however, that prior comparisions can be made is if previous imaging studies are readily available to the physician at the time of diagnosis. Enabling cloud access to mammograms ensures that these comparison images are available wherever and whenever they are needed, thus allowing for earlier detection of breast cancer in patients.

Veterinary radiology reports are the primary means, and sometimes the only method of communication between the radiologist and the referring physician. A good report is not only accurate, but is also clear, concise, and descriptive. An effective radiology report should serve to generate a mental picture of any concerns identified by the veterinary radiologist in the patient’s scan.