As stated by the Workflow Management Coalition, workflow is:

"the computerized facilitation or automation of a business process, in whole or in part... where documents, information, or tasks are passed between participants according to defined set of rules to achieve or contribute to an overall business goal.”

The requirement for a PACS workflow is that it is effective, efficient, and that it maximizes patient care.  Implementation of a PACS is an opportunity to re-engineer an existing workflow for increased productivity and decreased cost.

Re-engineering a workflow does not have to be done from scratch.  The DICOM standard and the IHE initiative provide frameworks for implementing workflows in a standardized manner across multiple institutions such as:

General Purpose Worklist
IHE Clinical Scenarios
Radiology Integration Profile: Scheduled Workflow (SWF)

• Workflow