Breast Imaging PACS Eliminates Limitations of Modality-Specific Review Stations

A new breast imaging picture archiving and communication system (PACS) was shown to improve workflow at a major US breast center by providing a single, integrated workflow with true multimodality capability. The fully integrated PACS environment was developed for digital mammography, breast ultrasound, breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and other digital modalities and provides a complete view of all current and prior studies, reports, and other important information, without manual "pushing” or "pulling” to the review station.

Impax for Breast Imaging, developed by Agfa HealthCare (Mortsel, Belgium), a provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare information technology (IT) solutions, has effectively improved workflow at the Cleveland Clinic Breast Center (OH, USA) by eliminating digital mammography modality-specific review stations and providing instead a single integrated workflow with true multimodality capability, according to a white paper released November 26, 2010, by Agfa HealthCare.

The paper, "Diagnostic Breast Imaging Solution Eliminates ‘Digital Islands' and Integrates Workflow,” describes Cleveland Clinic's installation and implementation of IMPAX for Breast Imaging, Agfa HealthCare's PACS and diagnostic workstation solution designed for the specific needs of breast imaging departments.

According to Pat Montgomery, senior marketing manager of women's health for Agfa HealthCare, modality-specific review stations are common in many breast-imaging departments but do not support an efficient workflow because they are not truly integrated into the digital PACS environment. "Modality-specific review stations create an environment of standalone, nonintegrated digital islands of information where many of the benefits of digital information are lost,” said Ms. Montgomery. "For example, to read a set of breast imaging studies at a modality-specific review station, current and relevant prior exams must first be manually ‘pushed' or ‘pulled' to that review station. This creates additional staffing needs and limits what can be read from that review station.”

The white paper outlines the Cleveland Clinic's efforts to provide a fully integrated PACS environment for digital mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MRI and other digital modalities, and provides details on an in-depth workflow analysis conducted by Agfa HealthCare and supported by the Cleveland Clinic Breast Center. "The radiologists were dependent on the studies arriving at their digital island before they could do what they do best: deliver outstanding patient care,” explained Dr. Alice Rim, section head of breast imaging and vice chairman of Cleveland Clinic's Imaging Institute. "We felt strongly that the focus of a radiologist should be on the review and diagnosis of the studies presented to them, not on searching for and pulling studies from the PACS.”

"The integrated Impax environment completely eliminated digital islands from the breast imaging department,” said Ms. Montgomery. "Radiologists now have a complete view of all current and prior studies, reports and other important information from any breast imaging workstation across their multiple facilities.”

Related Links:
Agfa HealthCare
Cleveland Clinic Breast Center