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The goal in the setup of the clinical evaluation of the PACSystem in the University Hospital Utrecht (UUH) is to realize such a presentation of images, coupled to other patient information, that radiologists and applicants can make diagnoses more flexible, faster and more fruitful. Moreover we try to get insight in the way a PACSystem can solve the problems regarding the contempory way of working with respects to diagnoses and image information; i. e. problems related to archiving and loaning of pictures, which may lead to loss and long searching times, problems with respect to room for archive, the high costs of photographic material and the impossibility of post processing on film. For the evaluation studies the following points are of importance. a. the storage of digitized image information on magnetic disc and optical disc (DOR). Direct digital input is coming from e. g. CT. While conventional films are digitised with a scanner/digitizer (MARSCAN). The image information can be seen on several monitors at the same time (multi access), i.e via MARVIEW in the digital reading room and a viewing station on the clinical ward. b. A coupling between the Hospital Information System (BAZIS) and PACS will be realized. c. The MARVIEW station offers several forms of image manipulation. In principle there is chosen for a complete PACS situation, that is to say that all information and procedures relating to the patients of a specific ward are manipulated up in the PACSystem. This specific ward is a clinical internal department and has fifteen beds. The data of this ward are compared to two comparable wards before and after installation of the PACSystem. Crucial is that in this situation we deal with a real operating clinical ward. To evaluate the effects of the introduction of such a PACSystem on diagnoses and organisation, a number of sub-projects are carried out in joint venture between the University Hospital Utrecht, BAZIS and PHILIPS. Two projects are especially of importance, namely: a. the clinical evaluation of the different system parts of the MARCOM/hard- and software the University Hospital Utrecht. b. the preparation of a simulation software package for general use (BAZIS). In this article only the setup of the clinical evaluation in the University Hospital Utrecht is discussed.
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