title: Designing and implementing the transition to a fully digital hospital.
abstract: The increase in the number of examinations performed in modern healthcare institutions in conjunction with the range of imaging modalities available today have resulted in a tremendous increase in the number of medical images generated and has made the need for a dedicated system able to acquire, distribute, and store medical image data very attractive. Within the framework of the Hellenic R&D program, we have designed and implemented a picture archiving and communication system for a high-tech cardiosurgery hospital in Greece. The system is able to handle in a digital form images produced from ultrasound, X-ray angiography, gamma-camera, chest X-rays, as well as electrocardiogram signals. Based on the adoption of an open architecture highly relying on the DICOM standard, the system enables the smooth transition from the existing procedures to a fully digital operation mode and the integration of all existing medical equipment to the new central archiving system.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Communication and Computer Systems, National Technical University of Athens, Greece. spav@biomed.ntua.gr
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Pavlopoulos
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Delopoulos
mesh_terms: D006739:Hospital Administration; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D011873:Radiology Information Systems; D017216:Telemedicine