At the University of Ottawa Medical Communications Research Centre we are looking at the PACS opportunity from the perspective of improving the communication of Radiological information (images and diagnostic reports) between the Radiologist and the client Physicians. To that end, we have developed an experimental multimedia communication system (called IRIS) which supports the capture and distribution of digitized X-Ray images and voice reports as integrated "electronic" patient folders. It also supports online consultation between the Radiologist and Physician by providing a multimedia "shared space" through synchronized workstation operation. In order to assess the clinical value and acceptance of these service concepts, the system is being deployed in the Ottawa Civic Hospital for a series of clinical trials beginning in early 1989. This paper describes the architecture and operation of the IRIS system, and briefly discusses the first clinical trial -an Emergency/Radiology link.

Date Published: 25 May 1989
PDF: 14 pages
Proc. SPIE 1093, Medical Imaging III: PACS System Design and Evaluation, (25 May 1989); doi: 10.1117/12.953336

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1093:
Medical Imaging III: PACS System Design and Evaluation
Samuel J. Dwyer III; R. Gilbert Jost M.D.; Roger H. Schneider, Editor(s)