The RANZCR is working with the Australian Diagnostic Imaging Association, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS), The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, the Australian Medical Association, the Australian Orthopaedic Association and the Spine Society to guide health professionals making the transition to digital imaging.

The Digital Imaging RACS Working Party established and reviewed guidelines and will advise clinicians, hospitals, governments and funding authorities about minimum standards for digital diagnostic imaging. Click here to go to the RACS web page.

After a digital imaging forum convened by the RACS in June 2008, a Consensus Statement on managing the transition to digital diagnostic imaging was developed and endorsed.

Read the Consensus Statement

The RANZCR, through the Quality Use of Diagnostic Imaging (QUDI) Program, has endorsed a set of Principles for the Provision of Digital Images. All radiology practices are encouraged to read the Principles as a guide to providing quality radiology services. The College also encourages radiology practices to engage with their referral base about how best to provide images in order to give patients the care they need.

Read the Principles for the Provision of Digital Images

In February 2009, the RANZCR Council endorsed an “issues resolution” process designed to assist practices to try to find a solution to difficulties experienced in the delivery of digital images, consistent with the above principles. Medical practitioners or radiologist are invited to contact the RANZCR, mentioning digital imaging in the subject line, if they would like to submit a formal request for assistance in resolving an issue concerning digital image delivery.

Producing digital images on CDs
The RANZCR Standards of Practice v9 requires compliance to the Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise Portable Data for Imaging (IHE-PDI) profile when producing diagnostic images on CD.
Producing CDs in a standardised way helps other medical professionals to view images and treat patients.
Read a summary of what the RANZCR Standards of Practice v.9.0 say about digital imaging

The QUDI Program commissioned projects to investigate the level standardisation being employed for digital image CDs. The 2007 RANZCR ASM CD Challenge discovered that very few CDs produced by radiology practices comply with international standards, including DICOM, HL7 and ISO. Read about the Standards for portable media: Part 1 project and view the full report from the CD Challenge here.

A further project proposed that the IHE-PDI profile be incorporated into the RANZCR Standards of Practice. Read about the Standards for portable media: Part 2 project and view the reports here.

Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise
The Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) is a global initiative by healthcare professionals, organisations and industry to improve the integration of healthcare computer systems and information exchange. Systems developed and integrated in accordance with IHE integration specifications communicate with one another better, are easier to implement, and enable care providers to use information more effectively. IHE Australia (www.IHE.net.au) provides education and products compliance testing protocols and event suitable for Australia.  IHE Australia has worked closely with RANZCR to provide technical integration and interoperability guidelines for diagnostic imagining.

Read about IHE and its standards profiles for digital imaging