Going Digital
SOME BASICS OF DIGITAL INFORMATION
AND ITS IMPACT ON PREPARING CASES FOR ACCREDITATION
In
the advent of ever-changing medical imaging technology, vascular
laboratories are finding themselves moving, sometimes willingly
and other times tentatively, into the age of digital transfer
and storage of ultrasound examination information. Over the
past few years, the ICAVL has seen a slow but consistent migration
of submitted case study documentation from analog media, such
as VHS tapes, thermal prints, and matrix films, to CDs and DVDs
containing various types of digital files. The significance
of this trend cannot be understated. A standardized means of
disseminating text, medical images, and patient information
in a format that can be shared with other imaging devices and
workstations, throughout the hospital or laboratory information
system and beyond, is essential. The conversion to digital data
transfer can help to improve the workflow and efficiency in
any environment, and has solved multiple issues with regard
to sensitive patient information and records. Most PACS and
ultrasound systems provide enhanced security for compliance
with HIPAA regulations. Whether planning a laboratory's transition
to digital or preparing to gather case studies for accreditation,
here are some storage and retrieval tips to keep in mind:
Basics Of The Digital Age Of Image Storage
Around
the time that digital image technology was introduced into the
medical imaging community, the American College of Radiology
(ACR) and the National Electrical Manufacturers Association
(NEMA)1 concluded that standards were needed to
govern and develop the following elements:
- communication
of digital information, universally
- development
of Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) that
would worok with Hospital Information Systems (HIS), Radiology
Information Systems (RIS) and Laboratory Information Systems
(LIS)
- creation
of a digital syntax and semantical language that other medical
devices, from different manufacturers, could interpret
The
resulting set of standards is now referred to as the Digital
Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards.
Most manufacturers of medical imaging systems conform to or
support these standards. DICOM is a key component in archiving
and transferring images from ultrasound devices to PACS, hard
drives, CDs, and DVDs. DICOM is the language a PACS system speaks,
making it necessary for the laboratory staff to be not only
vascular ultrasound experts, but also well versed in digital
information technology.
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1
National Electrical Manufacturers Association, Rosslyn VA. 2004.
#PS 3.1-2004 http://medical.nema.org
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