Dr. Thomas Weinberger, head of the Equine Clinic Burg Müggenhausen, on dicomPACS^®vet:

In spring 2007 we took the decision to change over to dicomPACS^®vet by OR Technology. The reasons for the move were the increased demands on digital image processing and archiving. At the same time it was important to us that all staff members should be able to use the new system without difficulty. Moreover, we were looking for a software that would continue to develop dynamically and that could be adapted to individual needs. In addition, the newly acquired software should be compatible with the existing image archive and hardware.

The changeover from the old to the new software was prepared so professionally by the OR Technology staff that the periods in which our data was inaccessible were extremely short.

Having used dicomPACS^®vet for over six months there is a feeling of general satisfaction among our staff. After a brief period of learning how to use dicomPACS^®vet they were soon able to incorporate it into their daily routine without any limitation.



Dr. Thomas Weinberger, head of the Equine Clinic Burg MüggenhausenNetwork


With regard to the particular features of this very comprehensive software, a few special aspects should be pointed out:

Compatibility with the practice management software:
Since the DICOM worklist functionality is now available, we considered it important that the resulting standardisation of patient identification should work well. Previously, patient identification had to be entered individually into each examination device (X-ray, ultrasound, MRI, endoscopy etc.).

The fact that this was done manually often resulted in errors and spelling mistakes which
in turn led to archiving errors and difficulties when trying to find patient files. The new dicomPACS^®vet software turned out to integrate very well with our patient management system (VETERA by GP) right from the start without posing any problems.

Compatibility with various image sources:
When deciding on a comprehensive digital archive, it was important to us that it would be able to capture and archive the output of all existing imaging devices in our clinic without any problems. So far dicomPACS^®vet has fulfilled these expectations without fail. At present, our everyday work includes the following image sources:

a.  Digital X-ray (Fuji, XG-1, Profect)
b.  MRI (Hallmarq, Standing Unit)
c.  Ultrasound (GE Logiq5 expert)
d.  Arthroscopy (Olympus)
e.  Endoscopy (Pentax CM 3000)

Patient CD:
Although many providers supply a patient CD as a matter of course, there are differences with regard to production, the option of displaying images in DICOM 3.0 quality and the usability for the animal owner. All these criteria are perfectly fulfilled by dicomPACS^®vet.

Importing and assigning data from external CDs:
In the course of a year, hospitals receive large amounts of external CDs with digital images which all have to be kept as CDs and archived. Fortunately, dicomPACS^®vet is capable of importing these into the general archive if the images are available in DICOM 3.0 format.
This was a pleasant relief.

Report module:
dicomPACS^®vet provides the option, by means of a report module, to produce reports on individual images in MS Word and to store these reports directly in the patient file. The reports can be prepared and compiled in accordance with our specific requirements. This resulted in a marked improvement of our internal and external documentation.

Statistics module:
As a vet, you often wish to look at old cases with regard to specific problems (podotrochlosis, sesamoiditis etc.) You remember the case clearly, but you cannot remember the name of the horse or of its owner and and there is nothing you can do. The optional statistics module allows you to locate and display any image from a vast database with the help of previously entered key words, fast and efficiently.

Pre-purchase examination:
The latest development of dicomPACS^®vet proves to be a great help with X-ray examinations and diagnostic reports for pre-purchase examinations. Previously vets often made mistakes in following the X-ray code of practice since they normally prepared reports without being able to consult the comprehensive catalogue and thus forgot or misinterpreted something. The pre-purchase examination module solves this problem for vets.

You are guided through the process of evaluating the exposures in simple and clear steps so that you can then prepare a report, clearly identifying and assigning the relevant information. This report is attached to the standard examination records and permanently filed in the software under the patient's name. This tool provides an enormous reduction in work and liability risks. Moreover, it is great that the current X-ray Code of Practice (RöLf07) is provided. [more...]

Overall, we wish to repeat that we are very happy with the investment and the changeover to dicomPACS^®vet."



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