• A PACS platform allows healthcare practitioners to digitally store and retrieve images captured by healthcare imaging systems. By storing images on the cloud, PACS allows practitioners to access patient images anywhere and at any time.

• PACS platforms generally allow for easier, more efficient, and value-added image management. Although a radiology clinic may use other systems that include image storage and management, integrating a PACS module can make image manipulation and sharing faster and easier within the broader clinical workflow.

• A RIS is a software system designed specifically for use in radiology clinics. Workflows, patient images, scheduling, billing, and other mission-critical information can be managed within the platform.

• RIS platforms offer radiology clinics a full suite of information systems and clinical workflow capabilities designed specifically for use in a radiology practice or hospital. Typically, radiology clinics benefit from having a RIS as their core IT system, with PACS and other functionality specific integrated as needed.

• CIS platforms tend to focus on critical care environments, such as intensive care units (ICUs). Like the other platforms included on this list, a CIS can typically interface with other, more specific systems, such as PACS, RIS, and EHR (Electronic Health Records).

• Given their core design and intended purpose, CIS platforms benefit radiology teams working in a critical care environment. Similar to RIS, CIS can integrate extensively with PACS, EHR/EMR, and other systems that offer deeper control and functionality over images, patient records, and other specific types of health information.

• DICOM is a standardized, universally-accepted file indexing system for the storage of images, records, and other digital files consisting of patient health information. DICOM architecture is designed for efficient, compliant, and secure file storage.

• As a file storage and indexing system aligned to universal security and compliance standards, DICOM plays a key role in many contemporary health systems. It is likely that any platform a radiology clinic adopts will leverage a DICOM storage solution to make file management easier in collaborative care environments.

Choosing the best solution for your clinic’s radiology workflow depends on several factors. First, if your radiology clinic exists as part of a larger system – such as a hospital or academic institution – it’s likely that your solution will need to integrate with a master-level solution spanning multiple departments, such as an EHR. In this case, high-level system architecture and patient record are likely determined by your organization’s governance structure and it’s likely that you already use DICOM as your file management standard. Here, you may be better off requesting specific additions that meet your needs, such as PACS for image management.

Smaller clinics, including private practices, may face more difficult decisions regarding which solutions to implement, as well as when to implement them. Generally, a smaller clinic can use multiple, integrated solutions – such as an RIS for primary structure and workflow, EHR/EMR for patient records, and PACS for image management – that individually excel at meeting their unique needs. Although an EHR or other master-level system might include more functionality out of the box, these types of systems are often calibrated for large healthcare organizations, offering less of the nuance and tailored functionality provided by individual vendors.

Ultimately, no matter your organization’s size, it is important to compile a list of your clinic’s most urgent and high-value needs, and work with vendors to learn about how their solutions address those needs and improve efficiency. A qualified vendor should be able to tell you, in clear terms, how their product or service will save you time, save you money, reduce errors, or otherwise generate value at different times post-deployment, including in the near, intermediate, and long terms.

Learn more about the right solution for your practice with our latest guide The Difference between PACS, RIS, CIS, DICOM: The Ultimate Guide to get even more insight to the questions below: