The radiology department at the Yorkton Regional Health Centre has seen some major improvements. The implementation of a Radiology Information System and Picture Archiving and Communication System (RIS/PACS) will allow for a significant streamlining of radiology both in Yorkton and across the province.
The system stores and processes medical scans digitally, and records are stored in a database which is shared province-wide. The result is that the steps needed with film-based scans are eliminated, and it is also easier to share results with physicians throughout the province. The system allows physicians and radiologists easier access to patient records and scans across the province, and cuts down on the workload and space needed for archiving within the radiology department.
Dr. Johann Hahn, Sunrise Health Region Chief of Radiology, says that the new system makes it both easier and faster to examine scans and perform diagnoses. He says that the number of steps necessary to view a scan are much lower, reducing workload and allowing diagnoses to happen faster. He estimates that his speed of diagnosing has increased by 20-30 per cent.
"You've got options that you don't have with plain films. Previous information is readily available, previous reports are right there, and that all helps you speed up and become more efficient in what you are doing," Hahn notes.
Don McMorris, Saskatchewan Minister of Health, says that the new system represents a step forward for medical scans in the province.
"It's a great day for the Sunrise Health Region and the patients of the Sunrise Health Region to see the RIS/PACS up and running in this area to join with the provincial system which is up and running in other health regions. It will save steps for patients, it will cut down on the X-Rays they may need because we have a better system of filing them, it also increases the efficiencies for physicians, and for radiologists. I think it gives them the opportunity to diagnose even stronger than before because of the latest technology," says McMorris.
The system has been implemented in the majority of the province, and McMorris hopes that the health regions which still need to go online will be able to within the next year.
McMorris admits that some people might be concerned about the security of their health records with this new setup. He says that people should feel comfortable that steps have been taken to keep their data secure.
"This RIS/PACS system, I feel, is far more secure than the old paper-based system. I think people within the province and within the Sunrise Health Region should feel more secure that their information is protected. Only certain people can access their information, and if a patient isn't completely comfortable they can mask their information on the RIS/PACS system, so that it would be hidden," McMorris says.
The hope is that as the system is rolled out across the province, patients will not have to duplicate tests frequently and the speed of diagnosis will decrease.
