Incorporating Nonimage Data

Abstract

Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS) were initially dominated by the conversion from film-based diagnostics to digitally displayed images. However, conventional physical patient artifacts including medical histories, consent forms, and outside paper reports are still common in the reading environment. Additionally, the rise of outside third-party data systems has increased the amount of data available to an interpreting physician, but not necessarily in an efficient manner. If this extra data can be incorporated into the patient’s imaging study within the PACS, the workflow of the interpreting physician can be dramatically improved. This chapter will explore methods and theories for digitizing and managing non-imaging data sets into the reading workflow.