Physician-author explores the downside of PACS

The rapid adoption of PACS allowed the medical industry to watch the first specialty digitize before our eyes: radiology. While the economic and clinical benefits are substantiated and accepted by nearly all, Bob Wachter focuses on how they've affected the place of the radiologist within the care center. 

When PACS came roaring onto the scene, the radiology department lost the centralization of imaging. Once the radiology department no longer housed the films, in-person consultation rates with radiologists dropped precipitously. In addition, the move to bundled payments may unseat their typically stable position in the payment model.

“If the world moves to bundled payments, we won’t do well,” said Ron Arenson, MD, Chairman of the Department of Radiology at the University of California, “We’re not very high in the pecking order."

Read more about the unintended consequences of the PACS below.

As a Senior Writer for TriMed Media Group, Will covers radiology practice improvement, policy, and finance. He lives in Chicago and holds a bachelor’s degree in Life Science Communication and Global Health from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He previously worked as a media specialist for the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. Outside of work you might see him at one of the many live music venues in Chicago or walking his dog Holly around Lakeview.

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