The term picture archiving and communications system (PACS) was initiated during the first International conference and workshop on the topic sponsored by The International Society for Optical Engineering (SPIE) in Newport Beach, California in 1982. The research and development (R&D) progress for PACS has been slow until 1988. The earlier PACS modules were mostly off the shelf components connected together to solve a very specific clinical problem. The three major players in PACS R&D are the European countries, United States of America, and Japan. For various reasons, the European coun tries concentrated in modeling and simulation, U.S.A. pre ferred in-house development or purchased PACS modules from a manufacturer, whereas Japan organized the PACS as a national project. Between 1989 and 1990 PACS R&D took a dramatic positive turn. Large scale P ACS projects were planned and some are of implementation, especially in newly con at various stages structed hospitals. Examples are the Hokkaido University, Japan; Hammersmith Hospital, United Kingdom; Social and Medical Center East (SMZO), Vienna, Austria; the U.S. Armed Force Medical Diagnostic Imaging Support (MDIS) project; and the UCLA Medical Plaza ambulatory care center. Another phenomenon is the organization of the EC-countries which provides a tremendous impetus for the European PACS R&D efforts. This book "Hospital Integrated Picture Archiving and Communication Systems: edited by Professor M. Osteaux and others is a direct product from these efforts.

This textbook reviews the technological developments associated with the transition of radiology departments to filmless environments. Each chapter addresses the key topics in current literature with regard to the generation, transfer, interpretation and distribution of images to the medical enterprise. As leaders in the field of computerized medical imaging, the editors and contributors will provide insight into emerging technologies for physicians, administrators, and other interested groups. As health care organizations throughout the world begin to generate filmless implementation strategies, this exhaustive review has proven to be a vital aid to leaders in the development of health care.

This book examines the use of state-of-the-art technology to achieve filmless radiology, describing its impact on healthcare systems and providing valuable insights into reengineering healthcare. Sharing expertise developed in implementing Picture Archival and Communications System (PACS) technology capable of supporting filmless radiology, it relates experiences at the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center (VAMC), the first site to have a fully operational filmless radiology system. The book will provide an overview of filmless radiology with advice on acquiring PAC systems. Also included are sections on its impact on the practice of radiology and the delivery of health care (filmless radiology is central to teleradiology), clinical uses of computed radiography, technological issues, and case studies from both inside and outside the VA system.

This book presents the state of the art and trends in Health Care Telematics, the valuable results of the research and development work carried out by more than 50 projects during the AIM programme 1991-94. Project information regarding the dissemination and validation of the project results is elaborated and in the annex a full list of the participants in each project including contact details can be found. The second part of the book focuses on the shift of paradigm in the Health Care sector within the Information Society. This shift is characterised by a general turn from informatics towards multimedia telematics including the Health Care Telematics. The new Telematics Application Programme under the Fourth Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development is user driven and focuses on the need for industry and users to collaborate and develop common solutions to secure validation and exploitation of the research results. The book gives an insight into the state of the art in a world wide context and helps the reader to understand the trends in Health Telematics. The target groups for reading the book are besides experts, researchers and industry in the area as well as decision makers and potential users of Health Telematics. Covered by Current Contents, Life Sciences (ISI), volume 39, no. 9, Februari 1996, p. 15-18 "The book gives insight into the state of the art in a worldwide context and helps the reader to understand current trends in European health telematics" Health Informatics Europe, volume 4, no. 1, March 1996, p. 14

CAR is a symposium and exhibition covering the impact of computer and communication systems applied to radiology and other medical disciplines, which use digital imaging for diagnosis and therapy planning. CAR '91 also provides tutorials, but more emphasis is given to a broad variety of specific problems related to medical/technical issues in digital imaging. This is achieved through in-depth presentations of results of current medical imaging projects on a worldwide basis.

Numerous experts in hospitals, universities, research institutes, industry and health agencies responded to the call of the commission of the European Communities for project proposals in the field of research and development of medical informatics, the AIM Exploratory Action. AIM is the acronym for Advanced Informatics in Medicine. The main objective of the AIM Programme is to further the usage of information technology and telecommunications in health care in the Community.

The explosive growth of multimedia data transmission has generated a critical need for efficient, high-capacity image databases, as well as powerful search engines to retrieve image data from them. This book brings together contributions by an international all-star team of innovators in the field who share their insights into all key aspects of image database and search engine construction. Readers get in-depth discussions of the entire range of crucial image database architecture, indexing and retrieval, transmission, display, and user interface issues. And, using examples from an array of disciplines, the authors present cutting-edge applications in medical imagery, multimedia communications, earth science, remote sensing, and other major application areas.