PACS: Bringing Light to Imaging

A state-of-the-art information system has taken Cape Cod Healthcare's imaging capabilities into the future.

The film age has ended, and digital is now omnipresent. The need to carry notebooks packed with documents, or even to get your film developed, no longer exists. Now, a small disc can contain a library's worth of information, and you can store and archive thousands of pictures on your computer.

Wouldn't it be great if this same technology could be used in health care? It is. Cape Cod Healthcare is now home to a picture archiving and communication system (PACS), the latest innovation in preserving, storing, and sharing radiology tests.

"Since the advent of radiology, the specialty hasn't changed a lot until recently," says Bart Toensing, who has more than five years experience with PACS and is the PACS administrator for Cape Cod Healthcare. "PACS makes radiology exams easier to access and read for diagnoses. It's the wave of the future."

How It Works

As a patient undergoes a radiology exam, the images are captured and immediately translated into digital form. Since the images don't require development, they're readily available to be viewed, allowing faster diagnosis and earlier treatment.

Whether a physician is at the hospital, office, or home, images can be viewed via a secure Internet Web site. The images can also be manipulated to give physicians a clearer view of potential problem areas, improving their ability to make diagnoses with confidence.

"Medicine is always evolving, and radiology is currently moving faster than any other specialty," says Sean Takeuchi, MD, board-certified radiologist on staff at Cape Cod Hospital who learned to use PACS during his fellowship training. "Bringing PACS to Cape Cod Healthcare is a monumental step because it puts us ahead of the technology curve, which can only benefit our patients."

Time to Move On

The people, atmosphere, and lifestyle of the Cape are wonderful. However, we here at Cape Cod Healthcare know you may not always be nearby when the need for health care arises. When family obligations or warmer weather call you away to other locales, take your good health with you.

How? With PACS. Simply ask your referring physician for a copy of your radiology exams and your physician can put a copy of your past imaging records, including the actual images, on a CD to take with you.

Thanks to PACS, you can now have your good health anywhere you go.