1. Provision of real-time information and synchronisation of clinical results in RIS and digitised image studies in PACS
Operational efficiency of all staff involved in the radiology workflow – from front-counter patient service clerks to radiographers and radiologists – will be enhanced. Healthcare professionals from different departments freed from light boxes, separate read stations for different modalities, and paper forms.
Digitised image studies in PACS enhance quality. Electronic tools in digital radiography such as changing the contrast and brightness thus enhancing quality of images.
2. Increases cost savings and profit margin
Due to achievement of paperless practice of digital radiography.
Filmless digital radiography has become more and more widely used.
Therefore, reduces wastage in the storage of patients’ hard copy health record files and film costs.
Efficiency and productivity are enhanced as paperless practice do away with inefficient methods of storage like burn to CDs, store in individual folder on hard drive, print films.
Currently, we’re moving onto the goal of achieving Ministry of Health’s vision of a national Electronic Health Record system for every Singaporean.
Future cost savings such as reducing the need to hire staff to keep the record files neat and tidy as patients’ information can be readily found on the PACS/RIS system.
But a reasonable conclusion is that PACS will pay for itself in about five years after installation from direct and estimated indirect cost savings.
3. Platform to translate to better patient’s benefits such as shorter reporting time hence shorter waiting time
Patient’s benefits such as shorter reporting time hence shorter waiting time.
There is better safety with reduced risk of mismatch of patients’ results and images, as well as shorter waiting time due to faster turnaround time for results.
It also boosts patients’ confidence in the hospital system in the long run.
4. Overcomes limitations of geography and time
It enables “anytime, anywhere” access by clinicians during consultation with patients, studies to be routed to a radiologist in another institution for urgent reporting, and cross-institution expert opinion to be sought for difficult studies, for example.
Reporting time is shortened.
Patients’ benefits are enhanced due to more accurate and timely diagnoses hence increasing efficiency.
5. Increases clinical workflow efficiency between departments
There are more than one million radiology studies to be managed in a radiology department.
Storing patients’ clinical information electronically, patients can be assured of greater data integrity.
With PACS/RIS, digital reads can be read for multiple locations from a central place.
This reduces to time taken to locate patient’s health record file from another user in other departments.