| |
The Provincial Radiology Information System (RIS) and Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) Project will enable hospitals and other publicly funded health care facilities in Manitoba to share diagnostic imaging (X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound) information, reports and images electronically. This will reduce the need for film in many diagnostic imaging areas.
RIS is a computerized information system that enables electronic scheduling, storage and organization of diagnostic imaging (DI) patient information as well as overall DI workflow, workload and billing data. RIS reduces the need for paper-based transactions. RIS provides patient demographic information to modalities (X-ray, CT, MRI and ultrasound devices) to ensure that images are associated with the correct patient in the PACS application.
PACS is a computerized system that will store X-rays and other diagnostic images, reducing the need for film and facilitating timely province-wide access to patient images and reports.
Over the next year, over 50 health-care sites within Manitoba’s 11 regional health authorities will receive equipment, upgrades and training to help them transition to a filmless environment.
The Provincial RIS and PACS Project will leverage existing RIS and PACS investments in the Brandon Regional Health Authority and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. The project is a joint initiative of Brandon Regional Health Authority, Diagnostic Services of Manitoba, Manitoba eHealth, Manitoba Health and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. Canada Health Infoway is a major funding partner of the project.
Learn more about the Provincial RIS and PACS Project:
Downloads
For information about the Provincial RIS and PACS Project, contact the Manitoba eHealth Service Desk:
Phone: (204) 940-8500 or toll free at 1-866-999-9698
Components
The major components of the Provincial RIS and PACS Solution include:
- Agfa RIS and PACS, including the provincial diagnostic imaging repository (DI-r)
- Siemens RIS and PACS
- Provincial billing (RISE Billing) and management reporting (Cognos)
The Agfa RIS and PACS solution will make digital diagnostic imaging possible throughout the majority of the province and house the DI-r, which is the hub for DI data and information.
Brandon Regional Health Authority has already implemented a Siemens RIS and PACS and sites within the Assiniboine Regional Health Authority will implement Siemens systems because Brandon is their designated spoke site.
The provincial model consists of 1 hub, 15 spoke sites and 43 feeder sites.
The hub is the provincial DI-r, which is located in the primary and secondary data centres.
Spoke sites are PACS clusters in larger DI sites where radiologists are located. Spokes store local exam data for a period of 12 to 18 months for improved access to recent images.
Feeder sites capture images from modalities and they are routed to their designated spoke for reading by a radiologist.
The project will be achieved through:
- Expansion of existing Agfa RIS and PACS systems in the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and existing Siemens RIS and PACS systems in the Brandon Regional Health Authority.
- Creation of a Provincial Diagnostic Imaging Repository (DI-r) within the primary and secondary data centres in Winnipeg.
- Implementation of Digital Image Viewing Workstations, including: diagnostic, clinical, orthopaedic and QC (CT) workstations to view digital images.
- Upgrades to modalities, including: computer radiography, MRI, CT, ultrasound and nuclear medicine to generate digital images.
- Infrastructure upgrades, including: Provincial Data Network, facility upgrades and local area network (LAN).
- Project team assistance at the site level with change management, communications and training.
- Creation of governance and operating models, including required service level agreements (SLA).
Impacts
Implementation of RIS and PACS will involve many areas of health care beyond diagnostic imaging. In order to process and review digital diagnostic images, installation or upgrade of general review workstations and clinical diagnostic workstations will occur. This project will affect many diagnostic imaging technologies, such as computed radiography, ultrasound and computed tomography (CT).
Implementation of the solution will affect radiologists; diagnostic imaging managers, technologists and support staff; and medical/clinical staff, including image requestors such as physicians, nurses and allied health professionals. The project team will work with all levels of health care providers to provide the necessary information, communication and training.
Patient Benefits
- Improved health care provider access to a patient’s images and reports in the right place at the right time
- Reduced duplication of DI exams because prior images and results will be available electronically to help support health care providers in making diagnosis and treatment decisions
Clinical Benefits for Health Care Providers
- A provincially integrated RIS and PACS system eliminates the emphasis on where a test is performed because test results can be shared electronically with other facilities, making better use of diagnostic imaging resources
- Radiologists, referring physicians and clinicians will have access to a longitudinal (over time) view of a patient’s radiology history
- Health care providers will have timely access to a patient’s relevant prior images and reports
- Improved toolsets for radiologists, referring physicians, clinicians and orthopaedic surgeons that will allow them to do more with images than they could previously with film
Administrative Benefits
- Improved access to DI services
- Improved management of diagnostic resources and wait lists
- Increased productivity and more effective use of existing DI resources
- Improved work environments enhance the ability of DSM and regional health authorities to recruit and retain DI resources
- Reduced costs related to managing film and duplicating tests because of lack of access to relevant priors, or lost films
- Streamlined workflow, including patient registration, modality worklists, transcription, reporting and billing
- Improved regional reporting of procedures, workload units and other management information
- Electronic patient scheduling for exams and electronic scheduling of DI resources, such as radiologists and radiation technologists
Future Benefits
- Creation of a consolidated repository of diagnostic images and reports, which is a key contributor to a future electronic health record
- Improved view of a patient’s overall condition in the future when other key health information is available in a single view through the electronic health record
Updated March 24, 2010
|
|
