HealthManagement, Volume 1 / Issue 3 Autumn 2006
ECRI (formerly the Emergency Care Research Institute) is a nonprofit health services research agency and a Collaborating Center of the World Health Organisation (WHO). Such organisations are appointed to contribute to the WHO’s public health mission by providing specialised knowledge, expertise and support in the health field to the WHO and its member nations.
ECRI's mission is to improve the safety, quality, and cost-effectiveness of healthcare. It is widely recognised as one of the world's leading independent organisations committed to advancing the quality of healthcare with over 240 employees globally. ECRI's focus is healthcare technology, healthcare risk and quality management, patient safety improvement and healthcare environmental management. It provides information services and technical assistance to more than 5,000 hospitals, healthcare organizations, ministries of health, government and planning agencies, voluntary sector organizations, associations, and accrediting agencies worldwide. Its more than 30 databases, publications, information services, and technical assistance services set the standard for the healthcare community.
Amongst its many products and services, ECRI is pleased to provide the readers of Healthcare ITManagement with sample information on products for Picture Archiving and Communications Systems (PACS) from its Healthcare Product Comparison System (HPCS), which contains over 280 reports. This Product Comparison covers PACS that acquire, display, store, and retrieve diagnostic radiologic images at single or multiple sites and that can store an unlimited amount of patient data and images. Most systems listed are configurable as mini-PACS / modular systems for serving a specific imaging area, such as Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine, ultrasound, or radiation oncology.
This extract from the ECRI database contains model by model specifications for easy assessment and review and also includes ECRI’s ‘Recommended Specifications’ (generic templates) which can be used for comparison and tendering purposes.
The data presented are extracted from ECRI’s 2005 database and have additionally been reviewed and updated, where possible, by the respective manufacturers. Publication of all submitted data is not possible: for further information please contact ECRI or [email protected].
ECRI Europe
Weltech Centre Ridgeway
Welwyn Garden City
Herts AL7 2AA
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1707 871511
Fax: +44 (0)1707 393138
