Our trust policy provided to us suggests 1 TB of PACS data storage (picture archive comminication system) would cost £2,000 and service 86 patients. That's £23.25 per patient for cine loops to be stored at the 20 week scan on PACS. We understand that cine loops are a sequential series of ultrasound images and are considered the gold standard when assessing and recording the fetal heart.
PACS is a centralised computer system that stores, retrieves, and manipulates digital imaging data from medical imaging systems. It reduces trust physical storage costs, frees up office space, and reduces the risk of lost or damaged digital files.
We understand the cost of PACS can range depending on the size of the trust, the number of users, the volume of imaging studies, and the specific features and functionalities required.
It seems the huge cost of PACS is due to the included hardware, software, installation, training, and ongoing maintenance and support.
We discovered that some trusts use a different system called Viewpoint - which we presume will be equally as expensive as PACS.
Comparatively - a 1 TB USB stick from Amazon costs a fraction of the price, circa £20- £50. But a USB or hard drive would not have the features and functionality outlined above.
Our trust seemingly cant afford this PACS storage for cine loops but crucially also won't permit patients to record their own scans either. Our trust policy suggests "storage of the original recording is vital as copies can be manipulated and used as evidence in a court of law".
Our trust appear to recognise how important an original recording is in the event of legal proceedings. It seems they just can't afford to do it - so they won't permit anyone else to record either. Is this approach ethical when patient phones don't interfere with ultrasound ?
We find it interesting that around 10% of trusts can afford storage for cine loops / video. Around 56% can afford storage for images or cine loops / video.
It's disappointing that 44% of trusts seemingly can't afford to store anything at all.