Cardiac PACS: strategies for planning, integration & vendor selection.

Cardiologists are clamoring for better imaging techniques, the ability to view images from their office or home, and for the resulting improvement in efficiency which translates into increased profitability. The future is here; are you ready? Cardiac systems have developed into full-blown information management and digital imaging systems. Hospitals are moving aggressively to update their cardiac information systems and identifying the significant role the CIS (cardiac information system) plays in the selection process. It is important to plan the infrastructure of your cardiac PACS (picture archival communication system) and determine how it will integrate with the radiology PACS. Equally important is the integration potential with other hospital information systems such as the laboratory, pharmacy and billing, etc. Answers to these decision factors are provided in addition to information pertaining to the overall cardiac PACS planning process and vendor offerings.