A Ministry of Health initiative that will help make health care faster, safer, better and more secure is being introduced in health regions. 

The Saskatchewan Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) is a secure computer system designed for the storage, retrieval and display of diagnostic images.

The kind of images managed include: 

• general x-ray;
• ultrasound;
• computed tomography (CT);
• magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
• nuclear medicine; bone density;
• lithotripsy (non-invasive treatment of kidney stones and stones in the gallbladder or in the liver);
• angio/interventional (use of x-rays and contrast dyes to diagnose); and
• diagnostic mammography at selected sites.

Benefits for patients include:

• improved service in rural areas;
• decreased waiting times between tests and results; and
• the elimination of X-ray film transport between locations and enhanced patient safety.

For health care providers, benefits include: better patient information - where and when providers need it; better, safer work places and state of the art digital systems.

In addition, access to specialist consultations will improve because the PACS software will allow both the clinician and the referring radiologist to view the same images at the same time, while discussing them, even if they are in different cities.

Prior to the introduction of PACS, there was no province-wide complete source of patient digital imaging records for health care providers to use when making decisions about a patient's care. Films or studies were archived in the facility that the exam was completed and transported individually to specialists and physicians for viewing. At times, having files stored in a different location led to repeat images being taken.

PACS joins the Pharmaceutical Information Program (PIP) as one of the first components of a provincial electronic health record.

The Electronic Health Record is important because we need to do more than just collect patient medical information in file cabinets. We need the ability to integrate all of this information and to have it readily available. We have to be able to manage the data and transmit it securely to the places where health care decisions are being made.