NucNet: a single-vendor clinical picture archiving and communication system--description and reflections.

In 1984 to 1985, work commenced at the University of Michigan to develop, in cooperation with commercial vendors, a picture archiving and communication system capable of handling all clinical imaging in the division of nuclear medicine. The guiding features of NucNet are the optimization of the system for perceived, rather than actual speed, and the use of technology appropriate to the majority of clinical activity rather than to the entirety. This has resulted in a cost-effective system that has been easy to use and well accepted for routine clinical work. A new image management system currently being developed at William Beaumont Hospital is based on these principles but uses the latest generation of powerful microcomputers to perform most of the actions currently performed by larger computers on NucNet. It is anticipated that, using current technology, the key functionality of NucNet can be obtained for a fraction of its original cost.