Conference girds for diverse audience with launch of SCAR University

May 30, 2000

The Symposium for Computer Applications in Radiology attracts a diverse group of attendees, including radiologists, healthcare administrators, physicists, technologists, engineers, and information technology administrators. They will all likely find something of interest at this year's meeting, scheduled for June 3-6 in Philadelphia.

The centerpiece for the conference is SCAR University, a new educational program that will allow attendees to learn about PACS at a level based on their expertise, according to Dr. Bruce Reiner of the University of Maryland and American Radiology Services, both of Baltimore. Reiner is co-chairman of the SCAR 2000 Education Committee.

"SCAR is a melting pot, composed of a large heterogeneous group of people coming from different disciplines and different levels of experience," he said. "We wanted to offer something for everybody."

SCAR U features 12 tracks, including introductory, intermediate, advanced, and "graduate-level" courses. Conferees can attend a series of four lectures on one topic, all 12 lectures in a course level, or any combination of sessions, according to Great Falls, VA-based SCAR.

This year's topics include digital imaging (computed radiography/digital radiography), storage techniques, teleradiology, economics of PACS, networking, medico-legal issues, security, education and training, workflow, and quality control.

Eight tracks of traditional scientific sessions are also planned, covering areas such as re-engineering and the human factors of PACS, image processing, electronic systems applications, digital imaging and CAD, and PACS technology and design. Poster presentations will also be available.

A series of two-hour workshops will feature didactic lectures coupled with an interactive session chaired by an academician/researcher. Two or more vendors will participate in each workshop, where topics include computer-aided diagnosis, speech recognition, PACS workstations, and electronic medical records.

Another addition to this year's SCAR program is the point-counterpoint debates, scheduled during lunchtime on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, a "CR vs. DR" debate will feature representatives from several computed radiography and digital radiography vendors. On Sunday, a debate entitled "Image Compression -- Is it Suitable for Primary Interpretation?" will be moderated by Dr. Bradley Erickson of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

Dr. Ronald Arenson, a PACS pioneer and chairman of the radiology department at the University of California, San Francisco, will deliver the keynote address on "The History of PACS and the Future of Medical Imaging in the New Millennium."

A closing session on Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise, a joint initiative between the Radiological Society of North America and the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, will feature short lectures and panel discussions by members of the IHE planning and technical committees, with audience participation encouraged.

According to SCAR, topics slated for discussion include:

The clinical importance of IHE, including the major medical problems providing impetus for the initiative;
Practical advice on how to incorporate IHE recommendations into equipment purchase specifications;
Current adoption of the initiative's recommendations by HIS, RIS, PACS, and modality vendors; and
Future plans for the IHE effort.

By Erik L. Ridley
AuntMinnie.com staff writer
May 31, 2000

Let AuntMinnie.com know what you think about this story.