1. Summary Slide Practical Design Features for a PACS Radiology Department

2. Stephen G Davies Royal Glamorgan Hospital

3. Overview Radiologist office / reporting areas Radiographer zone / image processing Computer room

4. Radiologist office Primary function is image viewing Workstation –ergonomics Desking –Height, size and cabling Environment –Light, heat and noise

5. Ergonomics Ergos = Work Nomos = Laws Workplace design taking into account the needs of an individual Consider tasks to be performed and the manner in which the individual will perform them

6. Why? We spend a lot of effort in the technical specification of PACS – we must also spend time on ergonomics –Diagnostic accuracy of reporting –Health of radiologist/radiographer

7. Key areas Environmental lighting and its effect on image perception Avoidance of repetitive strain injury –Body posture –Repetitive movements –Desking; mousing and keyboard

8. Environmental lighting Visual perception influenced by –Spatial and contrast resolution of display –Brightness (luminance) of the display –Extraneous lighting in reporting room

9. Brightness of image display Contrast sensitivity of the human eye increases as the object luminance increases Perceived image quality also increases with increasing image luminance, until glare has a negative effect But PACS monitors have lower levels of luminance Other factors become more important –Masking of image surrounds –Extraneous light

10. Extraneous light Contrast good for display; bad for reflection Ambient lighting –Low level –Suspended uplighting –Supplemented by task lighting Extraneous light –Window; corridor

11. Desk requirements Monitor footprint Separate RIS monitor Cable tray Mouse and keyboard position Paperwork Task lighting

12. Desk and Chair Optimum body posture – not ideal posture Desk and chair height for –Mouse and keyboard –Monitor –Spine

13. Reporting room layout Two and four station Lighting Noise Heat

14. Radiographer zone: Image processing Space Workflow (CR+DR) Environment –Light –Heat Power and network points Back up systems

15. Computer Room Equipment –Archive/ RAID –Servers - Clinics, Wards, Teleradiology –Servers - RIS and Dictation Access to equipment Cooling Room for expansion Security Disaster: fire, flood, etc