title: Medical Image Resource Center--making electronic teaching files from PACS.
abstract: A picture archive and communications system (PACS) is a rich source of images and data suitable for creating electronic teaching files (ETF). However, the potential for PACS to support nonclinical applications has not been fully realized: at present there is no mechanism for PACS to identify and store teaching files; neither is there a standardized method for sharing such teaching images. The Medical Image Resource Center (MIRC) is a new central image repository that defines standards for data exchange among different centers. We developed an ETF server that retrieves digital imaging and communication in medicine (DICOM) images from PACS, and enables users to create teaching files that conform to the new MIRC schema. We test-populated our ETF server with illustrative images from the clinical case load of the National Neuroscience Institute, Singapore. Together, PACS and MIRC have the potential to benefit radiology teaching and research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, National Neuroscience Institute, 11 Jalan Tan Tock Seng, Singapore 308433. tchoyoson_lim@ttsh.com.sg
authors.forename: C C Tchoyoson
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Guo Liang
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wieslaw L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Nowinski
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hui
mesh_terms: D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction; D003626:Data Display; D003628:Database Management Systems; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D004582:Electronics, Medical; D004867:Equipment Design; D006295:Health Resources; D006801:Humans; D016247:Information Storage and Retrieval; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D019212:Multimedia; D011873:Radiology Information Systems; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D012846:Singapore; D013663:Teaching; D014584:User-Computer Interface