PACS: small, medium or large: regardless of size, every hospital that has installed PACS technology can demonstrate benefits. Organizations that gaine

Sharing high-resolution diagnostic images across a network and being able to access those images from remote locations is a goal of most hospitals these days.

For large healthcare organizations, the new generation of PAC S (picture archiving and communications systems) allows multiple facilities--even if they use different hospital information systems--to have ready access to all needed images. On the other hand, small hospitals, especially those located in rural areas, will require fewer visits from radiologists affiliated with larger institutions when using automated systems, and the systems can shave expenses associated with film processing and storage. Across the board, the benefits to be derived mostly stem from the organizations' specific goals in implementing PACS technology.

In the case of Audubon County Memorial Hospital in Audubon, Iowa, the cost savings is estimated to be about $65,000 a year, says Troy Schoon, director of radiology. Yet for Schoon, going live with a PACS from Jacksonville, Fla.-based StorCOMM Inc. represented the culmination of a long-term planning effort.