Cynthia E. Keen

Canadian officials estimate that by 2010, at least half of all residents will have their own electronic health record. The EHR is intended to include a cradle-to-grave clinical history, using a single patient identification number. It will eventually be interoperable across the country and its multitiered healthcare delivery organizations. This prediction is not just a political pipedream, as implementation is already well under way.

The destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina proved the survivability of medical records in digital format. Restoration of these records, however, is not necessarily easy, even with a sound disaster recovery plan. Veterans Integrated Service Network 16, the VA network for the South Central Region, faced many obstacles in making the records of the New Orleans VA Medical Center accessible again.

InSiteOne is the industry's largest independent provider of integrated services for storage and archiving management of DICOM medical images. As of June, its secure repository incorporated over 324 million images for some 300 client hospitals, imaging centers, and private practices.

Digital mammography represents the last frontier for diagnostic imaging departments and imaging centers that have implemented PACS. For some imaging centers, particularly those specializing in breast imaging, digital mammography provides the catalyst for converting to digital image management. Many facilities that do not have the preparation or the staff to accomplish this transition seek a ready-made solution.

I3Archive specializes in cross-enterprise distribution and access of health images and data, using distributed archiving supercomputer technology. Its National Digital Medical Archive (NDMA) is a distributed database system currently containing approximately 500,000 digital mammography (and related) DICOM images, associated demographic and clinical data, and reports. The product's name was changed from National Digital Mammography Archive in May to reflect its inclusion of breast MRI and breast ultrasound images.

Enterprise-wide cardiology PACS are designed to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs by interfacing with hospital information systems, electronic patient records, and radiology PACS and information systems. These integrated enterprise systems have been commercially available in Europe only for the past two or three years.

My favorite end-of-day refuge after walking miles in McCormick Place is a minimalist Asian fusion restaurant with delicious food and low prices. I read the RSNA Bulletin. I eat. I depart.

Hospitals that archive digital mammograms in their PACS must plan for network modifications to handle the transfer of very large data sets and prepare for significantly increased archival storage requirements.

My favorite end-of-day refuge after walking miles in McCormick Place is a minimalist Asian fusion restaurant with delicious food and low prices. I read the RSNA Bulletin. I eat. I depart

Hospitals that archive digital mammograms in their PACS must plan for network modifications to handle the transfer of very large data sets and prepare for significantly increased archival storage requirements.

The RSNA’s Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting Program provides an encyclopedia of clinical innovations, issues, and trends in the practice of radiology. This year’s 912- page edition is no different. What strikes a reader of this tome, even without the presence of a subject index to reinforce the point, is the number of courses focused on utilization and technology updates for the all-digital radiology department.