Evaluation of Knowledge, Effectiveness, and Challenges of Picture Archiving and Communications System in National Orthopaedic Hospital Dala‑Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) is a networked group of computers, servers, and archives that can be used to manage digital images, specifically designed for the radiology department. Aims: The study aims at evaluating the knowledge, effectiveness, and challenges of picture archiving and communications system (PACS) in National Orthopaedic Hospital Dala‑Kano, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: The study design was cross‑sectional, and it was prospectively carried out from July 2020 to December 2020. A total number of 120 semi‑structured questionnaires were distributed to consented respondents for the purpose of data collection. The validity and reliability of the questionnaire were tested. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 21.0. Results: The results showed that 78 (85%) of the respondents had a better knowledge on how to use PACS, 80 (87%) admitted that PACS saves a lot of their time, and 91 (99%) admitted that PACS improves the quality of their work in providing better patient care. Eighty‑five (92%) admitted that images on PACS have diagnostic information and 73 (79%) were satisfied with the quality of images on PACS. Challenges faced by the PACS user include epileptic power supply, unavailability of PACS computers at all service points, slow network, improper patient identification, and sometime poor image quality. Conclusion: This study shows that majority of the respondents had good knowledge of PACS and it was highly effective.