Sectra PACS in major digital mammography pilot project in Australia
10/25/2006 3:00 AM EST
BreastScreen Victoria, part of the Australian national breast cancer screening program, is conducting a three-year pilot project to explore the feasibility of a move to digital mammography. A system for managing and archiving digital breast images from the IT and medical-technology company Sectra will be used in this project.
The first phases of the project, known as the Rural Broadband Digital Mammography Project, have now been successfully implemented and two screening and assessment services have been converted to a digital operating environment.
The project started in April 2005 when BreastScreen Victoria was awarded funding from the State and Commonwealth Governments for a pilot project using digital mammography imaging systems in its Mobile Screening Service. Following extensive evaluation, Sectra was chosen to deliver the Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) for the project. Sectra’s system will be tightly integrated with BreastScreen Victoria’s patient information system and thereby provide conditions for a more efficient workflow.
“The combination of state-of-the-art technology and an experienced team of dedicated staff will ensure that women in Victoria continue to receive the very best in breast cancer screening,” says Onella Stagoll, Chief Executive Officer of BreastScreen Victoria.
BreastScreen Victoria currently screens more than 200,000 women a year. It operates a network of eight regional screening and assessment services, more than 40 screening centers and its mobile screening visits an additional 20 communities every two years.