Department of Defense picture archiving and communication system acceptance testing: results and identification of problem components.
The PACS implementation process is complicated requiring a tremendous amount of time, resources, and planning. The Department of Defense (DOD) has significant experience in developing and refining PACS acceptance testing (AT) protocols that assure contract compliance, clinical safety, and functionality. The DOD's AT experience under the initial Medical Diagnostic Imaging Support System contract led to the current Digital Imaging Network-Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (DIN-PACS) contract AT protocol. To identify the most common system and component deficiencies under the current DIN-PACS AT protocol, 14 tri-service sites were evaluated during 1998-2000. Sixteen system deficiency citations with 154 separate types of limitations were noted with problems involving the workstation, interfaces, and the Radiology Information System comprising more than 50% of the citations. Larger PACS deployments were associated with a higher number of deficiencies. The most commonly cited systems deficiencies were among the most expensive components of the PACS.
Allison
Scott A
SA
Department of Radiological Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA. scott-allison@ouhsc.edu
Sweet
Clifford F
CF
Beall
Douglas P
DP
Lewis
Thomas E
TE
Monroe
Thomas
T
D002959:Civil Defense; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003628:Database Management Systems; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006077:Government Agencies; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D011872:Radiology Department, Hospital; D011873:Radiology Information Systems; D018511:Systems Integration; D014481:United States; D014584:User-Computer Interface