The University of Rochester, Department of Radiology, hosted its fifth annual PACS Conference, "The Expanding Integrated Digital Healthcare Enterprise," March 9 - 12, in San Antonio, Texas.
   
Attendance reached 378 with attendees from 38 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, Canada, South Korea, Italy, Taiwan, Bangladesh, United Kingdom and Russia. The meeting objectives helped attendees understand the basic knowledge necessary to implement PACS for any clinical specialty.
   
"Of the institutions reporting their status regarding PACS implementation, 41 percent were looking for a PACS vendor and 8 percent in the process of changing PACS vendors," said meeting organizer Edward Smith, ScD, FACNP, professor of radiology, University of Rochester Medical Center.
    
The meeting objectives helped:

• Provide an understanding that data and images must be seamlessly integrated if the digital healthcare enterprise (DHE) is to maximize productivity;
  
  
• Provide a basic knowledge of security requirements for the DHE;
  
  
• Attendees recognize that vendor workstations may look alike, but their functionality and number of integrated applications vary significantly.

The conference attracted 56 exhibitors representing all aspects of the healthcare industry from clinical information systems, storage, disaster recovery, cardiology, orthopedic and radiology PACS, accessories, monitors and others.
   
PACS 2006 will be held March 14 - 17 at the Westin Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas. The conference will focus on "Digital Healthcare Information and Management Systems." For more information on PACS 2006, visit www.urmc.rochester.edu/PACS2006.