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Questions and Answers
What is the main responsibility of the file room regarding patient demographics?
What is the main responsibility of the file room regarding patient demographics?
Which of the following functions is NOT categorized as an advanced workstation function?
Which of the following functions is NOT categorized as an advanced workstation function?
What is the purpose of a worklist in a PACS workstation?
What is the purpose of a worklist in a PACS workstation?
How can users navigate through images in a PACS system?
How can users navigate through images in a PACS system?
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What defines a hanging protocol in PACS?
What defines a hanging protocol in PACS?
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What is a 'study' in the context of a PACS?
What is a 'study' in the context of a PACS?
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Which statement about PACS software is true?
Which statement about PACS software is true?
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Which of the following is a method to scroll through images in a PACS?
Which of the following is a method to scroll through images in a PACS?
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What is one major advantage of a PACS in patient care?
What is one major advantage of a PACS in patient care?
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What primary function does a technologist QC station serve?
What primary function does a technologist QC station serve?
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How does the QC station benefit the technologist before an examination?
How does the QC station benefit the technologist before an examination?
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What has changed in file rooms within a PACS environment?
What has changed in file rooms within a PACS environment?
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What is a common practice for sharing patient images to outside physicians in a PACS?
What is a common practice for sharing patient images to outside physicians in a PACS?
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What should the technologist avoid while manipulating acquired images?
What should the technologist avoid while manipulating acquired images?
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How does PACS contribute to enhancing image review efficiency in departments like ER and ICU?
How does PACS contribute to enhancing image review efficiency in departments like ER and ICU?
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Which feature is commonly associated with a technologist QC station?
Which feature is commonly associated with a technologist QC station?
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What does resolution refer to in the context of imaging?
What does resolution refer to in the context of imaging?
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Which resolution is typically required for mammography?
Which resolution is typically required for mammography?
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What is a primary function of a physician review station?
What is a primary function of a physician review station?
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Which statement about display stations is correct?
Which statement about display stations is correct?
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What is a characteristic of radiologist reading stations?
What is a characteristic of radiologist reading stations?
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Which aspect distinguishes a radiologist reading station from a physician review station?
Which aspect distinguishes a radiologist reading station from a physician review station?
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What is typically found in a radiologist reading station?
What is typically found in a radiologist reading station?
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What is NOT a characteristic of display stations used in radiology?
What is NOT a characteristic of display stations used in radiology?
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What is the primary purpose of the pan, zoom, and magnify functions in radiology?
What is the primary purpose of the pan, zoom, and magnify functions in radiology?
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Which measurement function can determine the angle between two structures?
Which measurement function can determine the angle between two structures?
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What is a significant concern when modifying patient demographics in a PACS?
What is a significant concern when modifying patient demographics in a PACS?
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What is one of the functions of the query/retrieve feature in a PACS?
What is one of the functions of the query/retrieve feature in a PACS?
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Why should patient information be removed before copying images into presentations?
Why should patient information be removed before copying images into presentations?
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Which of the following describes a Region of Interest (ROI) measurement?
Which of the following describes a Region of Interest (ROI) measurement?
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What should be done before making changes to patient demographics in a PACS?
What should be done before making changes to patient demographics in a PACS?
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How does the size of a pixel contribute to measurements in a PACS?
How does the size of a pixel contribute to measurements in a PACS?
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What is the primary purpose of the cine function in imaging software?
What is the primary purpose of the cine function in imaging software?
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What do the terms 'window' and 'level' refer to in image manipulation?
What do the terms 'window' and 'level' refer to in image manipulation?
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What is the primary function of display workstations in radiology?
What is the primary function of display workstations in radiology?
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Which of the following statements is true regarding annotations in PACS?
Which of the following statements is true regarding annotations in PACS?
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What is the function of the close patient or close study icon in imaging software?
What is the function of the close patient or close study icon in imaging software?
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Which monitor type is likely to dominate the PACS display market due to its advantages?
Which monitor type is likely to dominate the PACS display market due to its advantages?
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How has the number of monitors required by radiologists changed over time?
How has the number of monitors required by radiologists changed over time?
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Why is it important to use lead markers during image adjustments like flipping and rotating?
Why is it important to use lead markers during image adjustments like flipping and rotating?
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What basic picture element determines the resolution of a display?
What basic picture element determines the resolution of a display?
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What does the window/level adjustment function change in an image?
What does the window/level adjustment function change in an image?
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Which feature is NOT typically associated with the cine function in imaging systems?
Which feature is NOT typically associated with the cine function in imaging systems?
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Which of the following is NOT a common function of PACS?
Which of the following is NOT a common function of PACS?
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Which action should be avoided when using annotations on imaging software?
Which action should be avoided when using annotations on imaging software?
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What is a key advantage of LCD monitors over CRT monitors in a radiology department?
What is a key advantage of LCD monitors over CRT monitors in a radiology department?
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What has contributed to the decrease in the number of monitors used by radiologists?
What has contributed to the decrease in the number of monitors used by radiologists?
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What is the relationship between pixels and resolution in imaging?
What is the relationship between pixels and resolution in imaging?
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Study Notes
PACS Fundamentals
- PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) is a system for managing medical images.
- Key functions include common functions, navigation, study, image manipulation, enhancement, and hanging protocols.
- Display workstations include primary reading stations for radiologists, review stations for referring physicians, technologist quality control stations, and image management stations.
Display Workstations
- The display workstation is the most interactive part of a PACS.
- It has a monitor, computer, mouse, and keyboard with hardware tailored to user needs.
- Conventional film/screen radiography uses large multi-viewer lightboxes for image display.
Radiologist Reading Stations
- Used by radiologists for primary diagnosis.
- High-quality hardware, including the best monitor, is used, with computers equipped to meet vendor needs and low downtime.
- Mice and keyboards can be customized for enhanced efficiency.
Physician Review Stations
- Step-down model of radiologist reading stations.
- Vendors may limit advanced functions.
- Ability to view current and previous reports alongside images is a key feature.
- Often, reports are more important to referring physicians than images.
PACS Advantages
- Ability to view images at multiple locations simultaneously.
- Software can be installed on stand-alone stations or accessible through a web browser on any personal computer.
- Software is helpful for medical record and quick diagnosis.
Technologist QC Stations
- Used for image quality review after acquisition but before sending the images to the radiologist.
- Can be used for patient demographic verification.
- Images can be modified, if needed for quality control, to comply with departmental standards.
- Usually a 1K monitor is used.
File Room/Image Management Stations
- File rooms have evolved from large, open spaces with film jackets to rooms with computers and dry lasers for making copies.
- CDs are used instead of film for image storage, with software for managing and viewing the images.
- Responsible for correcting patient demographics in the archive.
Common Functions
- Basic functions of a PACS workstation are available on all levels, except advanced ones.
- Functions are categorized into navigation, image manipulation/enhancement, image management, and advanced workstation functions.
Navigation Functions
- Used for navigating images, series, studies, and patients through patient worklists.
- Customizable for users; one doctor can select specific types of scans while another may need to see all scans from a specific day.
- Modern software often conforms to the Windows look and feel.
- Tools like scroll bars and scroll wheels on a mouse can be helpful.
Hanging Protocols
- Custom hanging protocols allow each user to determine how images will be displayed on the monitor.
- Examples include varying the number of images viewed on each monitor for different types of scans.
Study Navigation
- A study in a PACS is the current or previous medical examination being viewed.
- Studies can consist of multiple series (ex: MRI) or single images (ex: CR, DR).
- Images can be paged through using scroll wheels, arrow keys, or in stack mode (cine).
Image Manipulation and Enhancement
- Used to change images' appearance.
- Common functions involve manipulating brightness, contrast, or other image attributes through window/level adjustments.
Annotations
- Annotations can be applied to identify areas of concern or pathology that may be helpful for radiologists.
Measurements
- PACS workstations can provide various measurement tools such as distance or angle measurements, or create a region of interest (ROI).
- ROIs can be helpful in determining various quantities such as tissue, or fluid types, or volumes of mass.
Image Management Functions
- Enables user modification of patient information.
- Important to ensure accuracy in patient demographics entered into the archive.
- Limiting access to these functions minimizes error rates.
Query/Retrieve Function
- Used to retrieve medical images from the archive.
- Searches a study through multiple fields like patient identifiers, date of service, or specific medical procedures/modalities.
- Also allows searches that can be based on diagnoses and comments.
HIPAA Compliance
- PACS systems must be compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
- Patient information must be removed from images before presentation or distribution.
- Printing of medical images should be kept to a minimum for compliance's sake.
Additional Considerations
- Health care systems have adapted to accommodate PACS's. These workstations may be used in high-volume areas such as Emergency departments, and Intensive Care Units.
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Description
This quiz covers the fundamentals of PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System), focusing on its key functions and the various types of display workstations. Learn about how radiologists and physicians utilize these systems for efficient image management and diagnosis. Test your knowledge on the important features and equipment related to PACS.
