When Jim Pounds registered for an upper GI series at Community Memorial Hospital’s outpatient admissions last week, the few simple questions he answered were logged into a computer.

Instantaneously, his demographic and insurance information along with patient and medical records numbers were sent to the radiology department. When he arrived there with a physician’s requisition, the order was entered and his name was added to an electronic work list accessible by radiologic technologists, who could readily see what test needed to be done.

As soon as the first pictures were taken with the fluoroscopic x-ray machine, they were available on the computer screens of radiologist Robert Meier M.D., who reviewed the images and formulated a game plan, with Technologist Mary Davis, for the rest of the gastrointestinal series.

Once all the images had been made and evaluated, Dr. Meier issued his report, dictating the results into a voice recognition system.

It is all part of Community Memorial’s upgrade to a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) that has, since going live in early March, transformed the radiology department. The work of technologists has been streamlined and radiologists are able to read images much sooner. PACS also stores the records (two copies are kept at the hospital and there is triple back up through the Disaster Recovery Archive). Any prior film images necessary can be scanned and added to the electronic file so comparisons with earlier tests are easy.

“The time was right for us to get ourselves into the 21st century,” says Administrative Director of Radiology Bob Lattrell, who has led the effort through research, education and implementation.

“It’s been a challenge for me professionally but a challenge for me – I’m not a computer person – to learn the new system well enough to teach it,” admits Lattrell, who surrounded himself with good IT people and sought advice before making any of the hundreds of decisions he had to make.

The transition, from the ages of analog to digital, has been relatively smooth. Not only are those iconic, large, rumbling sheets of black film approaching extinction but personal data can be collected and stored easily, access is much quicker (and more secure) and technologists have more time to do what they trained to do – conduct tests – since they no longer have to handle (develop, check, transport and file) film. Not incidentally, that film is expensive and the savings of a filmless system can be substantial.

Patients benefit in a number of ways. They no longer have to tote film packets from appointment to appointment, there is less waiting for results, fewer re-tests and lower radiation dosage and better outcomes thanks to better images and more easily accessed records.

“There is a big increase in reading efficiency for radiologists,” says Dr. David Wellenstein, Director of Radilogy, who is also impressed with the near instant -- approximately 30 seconds after they are taken -- availability of images.

“There is no waiting for film developing or searching for films and PACS eliminates ‘lost’ films.” The availability of images, with the use of a secure password and a patient’s name, over the Internet means off-site physicians can also see test results and confer.

Community Memorial’s chief radiologist cites work flow and efficiency as major pluses of the system for the radiology staff.

Like all the technologists, Sarah Stewart faces a steep learning curve, in fact Wellenstein believes it can take six months to become proficient, but even with the increased reliance on computers and the detailed input they demand, she is excited by the prospects.

“It’s so cool little Hamilton has this system,” says Stewart. “We’re advanced even compared to city hospitals and that’s just awesome.”