Small PACS for digital medical images--reliability and security in a clinical setting.

Recently we introduced a small Picture Archiving Communication System (PACS) for handling CT and MRI data. Our experience with this system has been useful in identifying potential problems in a clinical setting. Since the use of PACS raises both medical and social concerns, it cannot be instituted without addressing concerns related to the reliability and security issues. Although PACS is useful in the management of medical images, there are concerns about their reliability and security in a clinical setting. Reliability encompassed image quality, timeliness of the reports, and the PACS to the Radiological Information System (RIS) interface including the retrieval of the previously obtained images. The security of the patient's medical data is also essential.