Progress toward paperless radiology in the digital environment: planning, implementation, and benefits.
A growing number of hospitals have installed PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications Systems) in order to improve patient care and to facilitate improved efficiencies. While eliminating films is commonly one of the first goals in planning a successful PACS implementation, eliminating the manual handling of paperwork can also produce a substantial benefit. We describe the process utilized at Maine Medical Center (MMC) to achieve a substantial degree of freedom from paperwork. Some of the benefits were expected, but some unexpected benefits also revealed themselves during this process.
Ralston
Matthew D
MD
Department of Radiology, Maine Medical Center, 22 Bramhall Street, Portland, ME 04102, USA. ralstm@mmc.org
Coleman
Robert M
RM
Beaulieu
David M
DM
Scrutchfield
Kristina
K
Perkins
Todd
T
D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D005568:Forms and Records Control; D006753:Hospital Records; D006801:Humans; D019451:Information Management; D008281:Maine; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010209:Paper; D018024:Peer Review, Health Care; D011871:Radiology / Q000458:organization & administration; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration; D011873:Radiology Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends*; D018511:Systems Integration; D013679:Technology, Radiologic / Q000458:organization & administration