Radiologists using picture archiving and communication systems should seek out new ways to establish relationships with referring physicians, according to a group of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco.

PACS represent a major advancement in the field of medical imaging. They eliminate the need for rendering images to film, speed up the total time it takes to create detailed images and increase efficiency.

However, the researchers behind the present study found that sometimes, communication between radiologists and referring physicians suffers as the speed of imaging procedures increases.

Their study revealed that referring physicians using PACS spend less time in the reading room with radiologists. This may be a symptom of the fact that images can be sent quickly to most computers and viewed at the physician's leisure.

The researchers concluded that the consultation between physician and radiologist is valuable, and should not be glossed over just because it is not as necessary as it once was. For this reason, professionals in both specialties should find new ways to interact and build relationships with each other.