Imaging Informatics - Essay Example

Imaging Informatics Agfa- Impax 6 Picture archival and communications systems (PACS) Many medical and health care facilities in the world, particularly in US are looking for some form of PACS technology to beat the competition and reduce the operating costs. The resultant demand has made PACS most active and demanding in the medical informatics technology, covering imaging solutions. There are several factors responsible for such demand, which include the ability of PACS to distribute the image anytime, anywhere; while the film can get physically eliminated, resulting in reduction of the related costs. Hence, PACS enables the radiologists to review all the available images, while sitting at a single workplace, reducing the geographic dependence. PACS software allows for examination of more vivid details, which results in higher levels of diagnosis accuracy and patient treatment outcomes. In addition, the PACS technology can ensure that referring physicians are able to find complete history and study of the concerned medical case, using a web browser, from anywhere. This would permit the physicians working in rural and remote areas to read the images sent over the web, for examining the same, virtually, offline. With such vast advantages and uses of PACS, the technology has now become a part of electronic medical record, while expanding beyond the radiology department- based medical application. This has necessitated the integration of PACS with RIS solutions, while IT vendors offer interchangeability of data, seamlessly, to enable radiologists helping in provision of optimum medical care at faster speed with lesser costs. Accordingly, the integrated RIS/PACS solutions create a single data base to manage image and information workflow of any radiology department. While it is responsible for acquiring, storing and displaying radiology text-based and image information, the integrated technology maintains awareness of all digital and analog information, creating the work-lists and order status information. This way PACS helps in management of all clinical and business processes in an effective manner, while considerably reducing the related paper work.( PACS –Technology Report , 2009 ) As PACS is a technology that integrates the computers, communication networks, servers, work-stations and software to formulate and manage a system for radiological image formation and display as well as producing the relevant image information archive; there are several components that are integrated together by digital networks and communication protocols. The components include data acquisition gateway, which is connected to hospital information system as well as radiology information system (RIS). These image acquisition gateways include computed radiography (CR), digital radiology (DR), digital mammography (DM), ultrasound and CT scan, among others. (Huang and others, “Data Grid for Large Scale Medical Image Archive and Analysis”) PACS Data flow Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is the standard which is most commonly used for providing the mechanism, which is responsible for interchange of images within PACS. Accordingly a generic PACS infrastructure would comprise of patient data servers, imaging modalities and PACS controllers. However, these components are connected by communication network. While application servers are used for extracting the image and data from PACS archive for different uses; acquisition gateway serves as a buffer between the imaging modalities and the PACS controllers. The following figure shows the PACS components and data flow, which is required for image acquisition, conversion of data to DICOM formats and forwarding the images to display workstations. (Liew & Zain, 2010) (Source: http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/jcs/jcs67794-799.pdf ) Agfa IMPAX—PACS Solutions Agfa PACS technology as provided by its product IMPAX 6 is the latest software solution for image and data management. As IMPAX 6 is a web-deployable solution for image and data information, it aims in helping hospitals for streamlining the enterprise workflow, with increased efficiency and productivity. Agfa has combined its PACS technology with industry design principals to deliver a single workflow-based system, which can cater to the demands of medical practitioners, within and outside their hospitals. By integrating IMPAX 6 with RIS and other reporting solution softwares, the product can provide a centralized view and consolidated data information on patient image and information management. Accordingly, the delivery of healthcare can be improved by hospital administrators, physicians and medical experts, as well as radiologists, with the help of distinctive features in Agfa IMPAX 6, which include simpler digitization of work-flow, while streamlining the study review for the purpose of improved reporting and results distribution. However, the main feature of the Agfa IMPAX 6 is its easy adaptability to the specific needs of the particular hospital, for delivering these results. While Agfa IMPAX 6 is available globally, its key benefits include easy accessibility to required data from any where, due to its web-deployable feature; simpler and easy centralized management of data, while providing maximum security, with regard to patient privacy and related information. It also ensures that workflow is optimized for different users, with connectivity for single integrated observation of the patient data. Hence Agfa IMPAX 6 aims at providing “single box” solution for radiology or imaging center of any enterprise.(Agfa IMPAX 6—product description) Key Features of Agfa IMPAX 6 Apart from the above, key features of Agfa IMPAX 6 would include the following: No need for extensive customization of workflow As the product’s features allow it to automatically meet the specific demands of the enterprise users, the streamlined work-flow of IMPAX 6 help users to increase the productivity with the available information tools for data presentation and work-flow. Single sign-on access With the use of 3-tier architecture, comprising of data layer (IMPAX core), business logic layer (application server) and presentation layer (IMPAX client); the Agfa IMPAX 6 uses the available net-work band for the purpose of efficient communication between client and the core. This architecture provides the foundation for client accessibility to multiple data sources with a single action data access. Centrally managed and web-deployable for remote access All referral physicians and radiologists can download IMPAX 6, virtually from any location, remote or local, to increase their productivity, as the connection via HTTPS can provide secured access to patient information, while making the installation of the software simpler for remote users. Providing integrated view of patient data The product provides digital connection to departmental and hospital information systems and modalities, enabling the user to get an integrated view of the patient data and history. Accordingly, users can analyze, visualize and explore the available clinical data, which would mean improved communication and efficiency, within any health-care enterprise. Other key features These include prior report handling, with access based on NIST standards, creation/display of key images, scanned documents being available on text data with Agfa RIS integration, IHE support and multiple monitor and multiple-module display capabilities; among others. (Products & services, IMPAX 6) Cost management features As IMPAX enterprise uses smart client architecture, resulting in its being managed and deployed centrally; the result is reduced time and cost involved in maintaining an application. Similarly, the hardware and maintenance costs can be decreased considerably with integrated RIS/PACS via a single desk-top. In addition, report turnover time and transmission costs are reduced / eliminated with “single sign-on’ micro-templates and context sharing features of IMPAX 6. The product also features commercial licensing models, giving the choice to users for selecting the best suited business model, to get maximum value for their investment. (Cost Management) Technical features of Agfa IMPAX 6 As Agfa healthcare has been innovating new ideas and IT solutions to make its imaging software, including IMPAX 6, more productive and result-oriented, the following technical features are a few among the vast such advantages offered by IMPAX/PACS solutions. Advanced image processing To meet the individual demands of the hospital physicians and clinicians, IMPAX 6 has many applications integrated to it that address the specific needs. These include, IMPAX Registration and Fusion, IMPAX Orthogon, IMPAX RDS, and IMAX virtual colonoscopy. Providing IT extensions Clinically relevant data like allergy and pharmaceutical histories, clinical notes, biopsy notes and laboratory results are provided to radiology or clinical station by the IMPAX enterprise clinical dashboard. This ensures that the data is available at faster speed to the clinician. Image data management DICOM encapsulated non imaging objects like waveforms, structured reports and PDFs are stored and managed by the Agfa’s IMPAX data center. This enables the key operators to access the data through single mechanism served by such data center, ensuring the availability of the imaging data to any location within the healthcare enterprise.(redRounds Radiology Network, 2008) DICOM Conference statements concerning Agfa IMPAX 6 As per DICOM conference statement overview, Agfa IMPAX 6 solution comprises of storage facility, connectivity to DICOM modalities and other healthcare information systems. In addition, the features of IMPAX 6 series, which include 6.2x and 6.3x solutions, incorporate a PACS application entity and an Integration services application entity. The technical features also include the following: Image management While IMPAX 6 solution stores all images, it allows image queries, based on different models, as well as, retrieves and transmits the requested images. The images can be stored, created and displayed, while printing the same. The images can be imported and exported through a portable interchange media. The images can be validated before storing, through IMPAX 6. These solutions also conform to the standard SOP classes, supported by PACS application entity, while Agfa IMPAX 6.2x and 6.3x conforms to the DICOM 3.0.2004 standard. (DICOM Conference Statement, 2009) Comparison with FUJI (Synapse) As per the MDB vendor ranking, based on the user satisfaction, Agfa IMPAX 6 has scored 8.7 points, in a scale of 10, while FUJI film has 8.3 points. IMPAX -PACS is a web based solution for image information and management, it can provide solutions from “single box” to a variety of multi-facility environment, fulfilling the needs of any enterprise. However, FUJI’s Synapse is a software-based solution which uses the IT industry standard servers and storage facilities. An access to the internet server is required for the product to become fully functional PACS workstation, which can be done on any desktop with user interface based on Internet Explorer. In addition, FUJI licensing model is based on volume and usage, while customers can enable several thousands of desktops with Synapse, depending on the actual usage and resultant license fee for workstations. This system is capable of integration with many other applications like web-portals or patient history, as the version 3.2 of FUJI Synapse would include integrated full-fledged digital mammography. (PACS –Technology Report , 2009, pages 5-12) BIBLIOGRAPHY WORKS-CITED Agfa IMPAX 6—product description, retrieved on 20th Sep 2010 from: http://www.agfa.com/en/he/products_services/all_products/impax_60.jsp Cost Management, Agfa Healthcare, retrieved on 20th SEP 2010 from: http://www.telemedecine.net/germany/de/he/solutions/radiology/integrated/cost_management/index.jsp DICOM Conference Statement, 2009, “Agfa HealthCare IMPAX 2x and IMPAX 3x Solution”, retrieved on 25th Sep 2010 from: http://www.agfa.com/he/en/binaries/001126%20IMPAX%206.2.x%20and%206.3.x%20Solution%20DICOM%20Conformance%20Statement%206.0_tcm220-29471.pdf Huang H. K. and others, “Data Grid for Large Scale Medical Image Archive and Analysis”, Image Processing and Informatics Laboratory, University of Southern California, retrieved on 19th Sept 2010, from : http://www.ipilab.org/Research/DataGrid/p1005-huang.pdf Liew S. C. & Zain J. M, 2010, “Experiment of Tamper Detection and Recovery Watermarking in Picture Archiving and Communication Systems”, Journal of Computer Science 6 (7): 794-799, 2010, Retrieved on 23rd Sep 2010, from : http://www.scipub.org/fulltext/jcs/jcs67794-799.pdf PACS- Technology report dated 9/28/2009, available at: http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:fzN94B5Gy9kJ:www.device.com.au/DEV/downloadServlet%3Ff%3D/NEWS/15/ATTRFILE_Attachment/MD%2520Buyline_Radiology%2520PACSIntelligenceReport_2009-09-28.pdf+MD+buyline+technology+report--PACS+technology+reprt+dated+9/28/2009&hl=en&gl=in&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgPFhWI5Ris9gXF7FNdTlb0PTA4xnk9cR2Bd77W7_xFPkovlDdm62_-cV7aUthyFwKyT2oz4MAWxED6IvzxJR2q1XYKtsJepOCuLtVLv76w5MJ0kL7grxDsd9JqwEE94egx9keq&sig=AHIEtbSPNp68rFs2oyhS0axmOrCSyNqp9A Retrieved on 19th Sept 2010 Products & services, IMPAX 6, features available at; http://www.telemedecine.net/germany/de/he/produkte_services/alle_produkte/impax_60.jsp?t=2 retrieved on 20th SEP 2010 redRounds Radiology Network, 2008, “RSNA 2008: AGFA New Technologies / Updates”, retrieved on 21st Sep 2010 from: http://www.radrounds.com/profiles/blogs/rsna-2008-agfa-new Read More