New & Used Information System, Radiology

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Tips for buying Information System, Radiology

1. The ability to interface with other hospital networks and systems is one of the most important aspects of a RIS. It must be able to interface with PACS and HIS, and preferably with billing, digital dictation systems, and other networks and systems. The RIS should also be HL7 compliant.
2. Any new equipment purchased should be DICOM compatible in order to facilitate networking. Users should be able to enlarge the system and easily incorporate new technologies to it, without affecting performance.
3. The system's software should provide a variety of features including scheduling, patient tracking, results reporting, teaching files, QC, inventory control, and productivity reporting. The database should enable transaction logging and a UPS, as well as a backup system.
4. Radiology departments or imaging centers are enhanced and supported by RIS. Hospital wide integration allows high-speed image and report transmission, as well as linking images to patient registration information, which facilitates hospital-wide information exchange.
5. Interdepartmental communication and patient tracking are improved by the integration of the RIS with an HIS and PACS. As a result, there is increased efficiency and quality of patient care in the facility.
6. Facilities should also consider multiple site networking capabilities for outreach services and integration with a MAN or WAN.
7. Before purchasing, facilities need to consider installation planning, because an entire room may be dedicated to hardware. Other factors to consider in this area include airflow and utilization of floor space and cabling.
8. Some RIS products can create a paperless workflow by incorporating electronic requisitions, consent forms, and other information that in the past was maintained on paper. To further enhance this capability, some systems will store scanned documents.
9. To facilitate system integration and expansion, open system architecture is preferred because it allows interfacing with other operating systems for information and application sharing. Many suppliers are now offer open system architecture, which also provides flexibility for future system integration and expansion.
10. Some suppliers offer single integrated products because of the need to integrate/interface many systems within radiology. These products reduce the need for expensive, time consuming, and often difficult to maintain interfaces by incorporating RIS, PACS, and other features into a single product. However, the replacement of many systems must be made at once, which is difficult, costly, and may require discarding a system in which some parts still function adequately.
11. Some facilities may find the ASP model more desirable because the initial capital investment in hardware and software for an RIS operated through an ASP organization is dramatically lower than that for a LAN configuration. However, it places the responsibility for maintenance, upgrades, and level of application customization in the hands of the ASP.
12. Additional equipment, such as telephone modems or fiber optic wiring, may be required to accommodate longer-distance signal connections. Facilities should keep in mind that these additions can pose design problems and increase costs.