PACS will benefit patients and health care providers in these ways:

• improved secure access to diagnostic imaging services in rural areas;
• authorized family physicians will be able to access diagnostic images online at any time and from any location, which will mean faster results and treatment for their patients; 
• access to specialist consultations will improve due to secure electronic images stored in the PACS, allowing both the clinician and the referring radiologist to review the same images at the same time; 
• a reduction in unnecessary patient transfers due to the ability to transfer the diagnostic image for assessment prior to transferring the patient; 
• a reduction in unnecessary repeat diagnostic exams due to a previous study not being immediately available; 
• decreased test-to-results waiting times - results are available at the time that the image is stored in PACS;
• no need to physically transport films between locations, whether in the same facility or across the region or province;
• authorized medical staff will have secure access to PACS and the patients' complete digital imaging history, including reports giving a more complete patient history upon which to base patient care decisions.

PACS will eliminate the need for traditional film, film-related chemicals and supplies, processing and storage space. Filmless imaging enables the authorized health care providers to:

• acquire and convert to diagnostic images in a digital format and to store these images electronically on a server for future retrieval; 
• view images on a computer monitor or workstation within the healthcare facility or remotely from home or office via a secure remote network connection;
• securely transmit images within a hospital/clinic site or to other sites for access by limited authorized users; and,
• monitor who has accessed patients' medical files.

Private radiology clinics are currently not included in implementation. Planning for the provincial PACS has, however, allowed for the future inclusion of private radiology clinics. Authorized radiologists will, have secure access via the web to films and reports stored in the provincial PACS that were captured from health region imaging equipment.

In addition to patient care enhancements, workflow improvements and operational efficiencies will lead to better use of existing resources, resulting in increased capacity and throughput in the near future. Reduced costs from eliminating film processing alone will amount to an estimated $3 million annually. The new Cypress Regional Hospital in Swift Current was designed with the minimal storage needs of the PACS system in mind, thus freeing up space for patient care.

By securely linking patient data across regions, and by exchanging patient images to take better advantage of limited specialist resources in other areas, the need for patients to travel or be transferred for a health care consultation is significantly reduced.

Patients will also benefit from improved turnaround times for examination results. This promotes faster diagnosis and medical decision-making, which in turn leads to accelerated treatment startup, potentially reducing the long-term cost of care.

The importance of PACS is its role in improving patient care and ensuring that technology is used to create better, safer, faster and more secure health care for the province.

In addition to patient care enhancements, workflow improvements and operational efficiencies will lead to better use of existing resources, resulting in increased capacity and throughput in the near future. Reduced costs from eliminating film processing alone will amount to an estimated $3 million annually. With PACS implementation in mind, sites such as the new Cypress Regional Hospital in Swift Current are designed to operate with the PACS system freeing up space for patient care.

By securely linking patient data across regions, and by exchanging patient images to take better advantage of limited specialist resources in other areas, the need for patients to travel or be transferred for a health care consultation is significantly reduced.
Patients will also benefit from improved turnaround times for examination results. This promotes faster diagnosis and medical decision-making, which in turn leads to accelerated treatment startup, potentially reducing the long-term cost of care.

Yes. All diagnostic images will be stored within a secure central repository managed by the health region with the support of the Ministry of Health. Access is limited to authorized health care providers, and all necessary provincial privacy and security requirements will be followed in the management and use of personal health information.

The Ministry of Health has strictly controlled and limited access to PACS and all other components of the Electronic Health Record.

• Registration information such as name, address, phone number, date of birth, and health services number and medical records number.
• Information about the type of diagnostic imaging exam requested by the physician and your physician's name.

Your personal health information is confidential and the regional health authorities and the Ministry of Health take great care to protect personal health information. Information is kept in strict confidence and is used or disclosed as authorized or required by law. Privacy safeguards outlined in The Health Information Protection Act (HIPA) apply to the PACS.

Safeguards are in place to ensure only health professionals involved in your care access your personal health information in PACS:

• All health care providers are made aware of their responsibilities and agree to maintain the confidentiality of information and use it only on a need-to-know basis.
• All access to PACS data is tracked and recorded for audit purposes. You can request a printout of who has accessed your information in PACS.
• Patients are able to globally mask their PACS record.

Strict security safeguards are also in place. Policies, practices and computer systems are designed to protect your information from unauthorized use, error and loss. User access is restricted to only authorized health care professionals. High-quality network security is in place, and all electronic messages are encrypted. Each health region is the trustee of, and is responsible for, the images created within the region.

Saskatchewan residents may choose a masking option. This means that they may request that their diagnostic imaging information is unavailable for view by health care providers.

Information on how to mask is available at this link or by emailing the eHealth Privacy Service at privacyandaccess@eHealthsask.ca or calling 1-800-667-1672 for more information.

If you have concerns regarding your personal health information, or its use, talk to your healthcare provider. If you still have concerns, talk to the appropriate supervisor or manager responsible for radiology services within your RHA. If you wish to register a formal complaint regarding a privacy issue, you are encouraged to contact your RHA's Privacy Officer or the eHealth Privacy Service at 1-800-667-1672.

If the Regional Health Authority or eHealth Privacy Service is unable to resolve your complaint or concern to your satisfaction, you may contact the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner. This provincial office oversees The Health Information Protection Act (HIPA) in Saskatchewan. The Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner can be contacted at:

Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner
503-1801 Hamilton Street
Regina, Saskatchewan,
S4P 4B4
Phone: (306) 787-8350, or toll free (within Saskatchewan) at 1-877-748-2298
Fax: (306) 798-1603

Yes. If, in your health care provider's professional opinion, a particular course of treatment cannot be recommended because all the patient history information cannot be accessed, your health care provider may refuse to provide or recommend treatment.

You can give your health care provider consent to view your diagnostic imaging information for a limited time. This would still ensure that your record remained masked and unavailable to other users.

Individuals may provide consent to an authorized health care professional to view their masked PACS information. In addition, if choosing to unmask your diagnostic images and reports for a longer period of time, please click the form Request to Remove the Mask below or phone 1-800-667-1672 and ask that your diagnostic images and reports be unmasked to give access to authorized health care providers. You will receive a form to sign and return to the eHealth Privacy Service. Once your request has been received and processed, your PACS records will be available for authorized health care providers to access as needed.

Yes. Individuals may request a report of who has accessed their PACS information. Please click on the form Request for Access Report below or phone 1-800-667-1672 and request a form to sign from the eHealth Saskatchewan. Once your request has been received and processed, a report will be sent to you by return mail, marked "CONFIDENTIAL".