Darra Thomas Murphy MRCPI, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Peter MacMahon MBBCh, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Open-source software solutions are becoming a real alternative to standard, and often expensive, imaging platforms. We show how we used open source software to our advantage to implement a low cost but eminently effectual conference solution with limited resources.

Although usage of PACS in many Northern American and Western European countries is high, worldwide penetration of PACS is far more modest. We are a 570 bed national tertiary referral centre with approximately 3000 employees and a Radiology department that performed in excess of 140,000 radiological examination in 2007, a number that continues to increase by 7% per year. As such we perform 15 MDT confereences per week, discussing in excess of 200 patients. Although all imaging is stored in DICOM format, we have no integrated PACS system and each modality is viewed by a separate application. Discussing patients that have had multimodality imaging has significant limitations, particularly with MDCT and PET/CT. The purpose of this talk is to describe our experience using a single, powerful, cost-effective software platform for presentation of complex cases at multi-disciplinary radiology conferences.

Time to conversion was 6 weeks. Time for training of presenting radiologist was just one afternoon. Total cost was under 10,000 dollars. The questionnaire results demonstrated an overall agreed improvement in radiology conferences by clinicians and radiologists. We shall show how this solution was introduced at minimal cost (<$10,000) in an institution with limited resources giving both radiologist and clinician satisfaction.

We have implemented a UNIX-based open-source solution (OsiriX) that is both easy to use and robust. From a situation of having to use up to six separate modalities to show a patients' relevant imaging, this is a one stop shop that links seamlessly with all of our multi-vendor modalities. Prior to implementation, clinicians and presenting radiologists completed a detailed questionnaire on the ease-of-use and usefulness of radiology conferences. Eight weeks post conversion to the single presentation platform, the clinicians and radiologists were re-surveyed to assess improvement, if any.

Murphy, D, MacMahon, P, “Next Case Please”: Implementation of an Open Source Conference Solution in a PACS-less Institution.  Radiological Society of North America 2008 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, February 18 - February 20, 2008 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2008/6015038.html