Through the Thames Valley Hospital Digital Imaging Network project, eight Southwestern Ontario hospitals and six family medical centers are now linked by a single picture archiving and communication system (PACS). The hospitals include London Health Sciences Center, St. Joseph Health Care London, Alexandra Hospital, Four Counties Health Services, St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital, Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital, Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital and Woodstock General Hospital.

The Digital Imaging Network project is funded by the Canada Health Infoway, a nationwide program that supports the development of electronic health information systems across the country.

PACS is a shared network of digitally stored medical images, where clinicians can access electronic diagnostic images simultaneously from their workstations through a virtual private network (VPN). One huge benefit from the system was that it eliminated the need for patients to travel to other hospitals for specialist consultation. A family physician can consult with a specialist from another hospital electronically by having access to a diagnostic image at the same time, said Diane Beattie, CIO for St. Joseph Health Care and London Health Sciences Center.

"From a health quality perspective, [some of the benefits] are around responsiveness," said Beattie. "In the London area, we actually have the lowest wait times for MRIs and CT scans across Ontario."

Doctors benefit from PACS as well by having the capability to remotely view medical images through VPN connection and provide diagnosis, Beattie said. "So if the doctor is on call, he doesn't need to get up in the middle of the night and come to the hospital."