Time to integrate your PACS/CIS strategies? Upgrading to a new PACS system and want to make sure all users are going to be satisfied? Looking to take advantage of teleradiology services to lower costs? Need tips on negotiating massive, multi-year PACS contracts? If you've answered yes to any of these questions, be sure to read our cover story, “Imaging Special Report,” a three-part report on PACS (page 30). It looks at three elements of this critical aspect of clinical care and computing: second-generation PACS development, PACS/EMR integration, and PACS vendor selection issues. Find out what industry leaders have done to ensure their PACS dollars are well spent.
Some say the wolves are at the door. When the new Medicare inpatient rules for hospital-acquired conditions take effect, will you be prepared? Find out what others in the industry are doing to make sure they don't get burned in “Costly Infections” (page 10.) We'll tell you what you need to know to ensure your hospital doesn't lose valuable CMS dollars — and what IT solutions can help.
Everyone's talking about “business intelligence” as a way to help hospitals strategize. But is business intelligence really something unique, or just reporting systems under a new name? And can it deliver on the promise of increased cost savings and efficiencies? In our Financial section, industry experts and hospital leaders answer those questions and more. Read “All Hype” (page 16) to see if you need one data warehouse or several — or if you don't need one at all.
With HIPAA Privacy rules in place, throwing away unwanted hardware and software is much more involved than simply taking out the garbage. What are today's best practices in data disposal to ensure that discarded IT doesn't come back to haunt you? Do you need a vendor's help or is this something you can handle internally? Read “Taking out the Trash” (page 22) for the latest information on this important issue.
