Components and implementation of a picture archiving and communication system in a prototype application

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to represent the first experience of applying a picture archiving and communication system (PACS) at the Universiti Putra Malaysia with the cooperation of Universiti Teknologi MARA hospital, and to analyze the applicability of PACS, its impact on health care, its benefits to medical employees, and propose a prototype application of PACS. Methods: The main PACS components were discussed, HL7 and DICOM standards were introduced, and a prototype of WebXA application was proposed. Results: The results of WebXA revealed the ability of this application to retrieve, store, and display angiography images on a web browser anywhere, as long as an Internet connection is provided. Conclusion: This article presented PACS with its components and standards, a prototype application was discussed and evaluated, and a few recommendations have been provided for more improvements in the future.