The data migration project was completed with unusual speed and ease in about three weeks, encompassing about a year’s worth of exams.

Approximately 36,000 exams were migrated to the new PACS.

“We converted from a system that had been unsatisfactory compared to the DR Systems PACS, which is like switching from a Yugo to a Rolls Royce,” said Jim Sheperd, M.D., Diagnostic Imaging Director at OMC. “DR was able to take our data from our legacy system and migrate it so that from Day One of going live, we had all our prior data available online, which is huge.”

While it is highly unusual to substantially complete a data migration project before the PACS is put on-line, early completion is much coveted by hospitals because it makes the switchover to the new PACS far more convenient for users.

“We’re very pleased with how things have gone with DR Systems,” said Eric Lewis, OMC’s chief financial officer. “The company made a number of promises to us during the bidding process and they’ve delivered on all of them, including their superb ability to manage data migration. We’re very pleased that we didn’t lose valuable data during the migration. The fact that the migration was nearly completed when we went live also made a tremendous difference.”

Data migration refers to the transfer of historical exams from a previously used PACS onto a newly acquired PACS. The subject of data migration is being widely discussed in healthcare today because many current PACS users – 25 percent, according to a recent survey – plan to change vendors. Data migration may also be required if a PACS user upgrades with its current vendor – especially if the vendor has acquired another company and its technology.

The migration of radiological images is particularly complex because of the size of image files. The size of the archive to be migrated generally encompasses tens of terabytes, and commonly takes from several months to more than a year to transfer from one PACS to the other. Complications can arise if the PACS systems cannot “talk to each other” easily, for reasons such as use by one or both vendors of non-standard or proprietary data storage schemes. 

The DR Systems PACS supports the DICOM Part 10 data storage format, widely seen as the most compatible format for sharing files between vendors. 

The DR Systems PACS acquired by Olympic features:

• Single sign-on EMR integration with MEDITECH hospital and radiology information systems
• Common user-friendly interface at all the PACS workstations
• Referring doctors’ ability to clinically review images and reports at their home or office or while traveling
• Instant access to ‘in progress’ study images by ER doctors
• Patented automated hanging protocols for reading physicians and report format preferences for individual referring physicians
• Fully integrated digital dictation, voice recognition and transcription options

“This PACS is extremely user-friendly and intuitive,” said Debbie Nickles, OMC’s PACS Administrator. “We’re three weeks into using it, and our staff is just buzzing along like they’ve been using it for months if not years.”

About Olympic Medical Center
Olympic Medical Center is a comprehensive healthcare provider for more than 66,800 residents of Clallam County, Wash. It provides inpatient services at its 126-bed acute care facility, and outpatient services including imaging, rehabilitation therapy, laboratory, home health through its home health division, and comprehensive cancer care services at locations throughout the region. For more information call 360-417-7000 or visit www.olympicmedical.org.

About DR Systems
DR Systems, Inc. is the leading independent provider of film-free medical systems and paperless information systems for diagnostic imaging centers and hospitals. For 12 years, the company has helped more than 250 hospitals and imaging centers improve the management of patient information, eliminate film costs, and increase workflow speed, all while providing better clinical quality and patient care. DR Systems’ unified PACS utilizes “Smart Client” technology to maximize efficiency and ease of use. The company’s systems integrate numerous tools to improve financial performance and productivity, including: client-server and Web-based image, report and audio clip distribution; patented, automated hanging protocols for radiologists; and the report format preferences of individual referring physicians. For more information, call 800-794-5955 or visit www.dominator.com.