IMPAX for breast imaging eliminates limitations of modality-specific review stations at Cleveland Clinic Breast Center

IMPAX for Breast Imaging from Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions has effectively improved workflow at Cleveland Clinic Breast Center by eliminating digital mammography modality-specific review stations and providing instead a single integrated workflow with true multi-modality capability, according to a white paper released today by Agfa HealthCare.

The paper, "Diagnostic Breast Imaging Solution Eliminates 'Digital Islands' and Integrates Workflow" describes Cleveland Clinic's installation and implementation of IMPAX for Breast Imaging, Agfa HealthCare's PACS and diagnostic workstation solution designed for the specific needs of breast imaging departments.

The limitations of information 'digital islands'

According to Pat Montgomery, Senior Marketing Manager of Women's Health for Agfa HealthCare, modality-specific review stations are common in many breast imaging departments but do not support an efficient workflow because they are not truly integrated into the digital PACS environment.  "Modality-specific review stations create an environment of standalone, non-integrated 'digital islands' of information where many of the benefits of digital information are lost," said Montgomery. "For example, to read a set of breast imaging studies at a modality-specific review station, current and relevant prior exams must first be manually 'pushed' or 'pulled' to that review station. This creates additional staffing needs and limits what can be read from that review station."  

Fully integrated PACS environment

The white paper outlines Cleveland Clinic's efforts to provide a fully integrated PACS environment for digital mammography, breast ultrasound, breast MRI and other digital modalities, and provides details on an in-depth workflow analysis conducted by Agfa HealthCare and supported by the Cleveland Clinic Breast Center.

"The radiologists were dependent on the studies arriving at their 'digital island' before they could do what they do best: deliver outstanding patient care," explained Dr. Alice Rim, Section Head of Breast Imaging and Vice Chairman of Cleveland Clinic's Imaging Institute.  "We felt strongly that the focus of a radiologist should be on the review and diagnosis of the studies presented to them, not on searching for and pulling studies from the PACS." 

"IMPAX for Breast Imaging met every key criterion for success that we established," said Dr. Rim. "It's a proven, well-established solution. Agfa HealthCare had helped other similar facilities overcome the limitations of modality-specific review stations." 

Access to any study from any workstation

"The integrated IMPAX environment completely eliminated 'digital islands' from the breast imaging department," said Montgomery. "Radiologists now have a complete view of all current and prior studies, reports and other important information from any breast imaging workstation across their multiple facilities."  The IMPAX solution also provides full multi-modality capability, integration opportunities and extensive toolsets specific to mammography, all of which helped to deliver a single integrated workflow for the Breast Center.

Improvements related to the elimination of modality-specific review stations to the Breast Center's workflow include:

• Automated access to any study from any workstation
• Simplified reading process
• Elimination of delay in reading standard screening exams
• Reduction in reliance on paper and film

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