On the surface, PACS can seem confusing. The technology is new, rapidly changing and different for each vendor in the market. Purchasing a PACS requires buy-in from many different departments. It also requires taking an in-depth look at many current and planned radiology practices. The list of questions below is just a small sampling of those questions that need to be addressed in order to implement a PACS:

	Do you have a budget for purchasing a PACS?
	What are your current storage capacities for film?
	What is the growth rate of your exam volumes?
	What PACS vendors should you consider?
	Do you want to utilize an ASP model that charges a fee per exam or do you want to purchase a system outright?
	How much time do you have to dedicate to the project?
	How do you get buy-in from the various departments that will be affected by the purchase?
	How does your facility obtain board approval?
	Will your network support PACS?
	How do you develop a marketing plan for referring physicians?

Before you decide to move forward with a PACS project yourself, take the time to seriously consider if you have the necessary time available to devote to the PACS project given your current and future workload responsibilities. The Thomas Group has spent the last few years perfecting our PACS methodology. We know what questions to ask which individuals and have developed effective methods that lead to a positive implementation process.