The last couple of years in the United States and Europe have seen an increased focus on the cumulative patient dose received from a wide variety of X-ray devices including classical X-ray, computed tomography (CT), interventional radiology and mammography. The deleterious effects of radiation dose have received widespread coverage, and the partial answer has been a movement towards non-ionizing diagnostic imaging equipment, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound.

As meaningful use standards become a crucial component of medical care, many hospitals and clinics are looking to upgrade or even fully replace their picture archive and communication systems (PACS). Such a switch is not something to be taken lightly, and the solution often isn’t as simple as “plug and play.” Typically, hundreds of thousands of images from numerous modalities need to be converted to the new system. And aside from choosing a system that best suits their individual needs, organizations need to consider a range of factors, from network security and HIPAA to cost and staff training.

The use of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other high-tech diagnostic imaging (HTDI) scans increased 8 percent a year from 2003 to 2006 in Minnesota. There was concern that this potential overuse could expose patients to unnecessary radiation, plus contribute significantly to unsustainable increases in healthcare costs.